August 13, 2023
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Kate Frese/For PhillyVoice
Eagles linebacker Shaun Bradley walks off the field after last season's Week 2 game against the Vikings on September 19, 2022.
Shaun Bradley's season is over.
After needing to be carted off during Saturday night's preseason game down in Baltimore, the Eagles linebacker confirmed it himself Sunday through his Instagram and The Philadelphia Inquirer's EJ Smith later verified the extent of the injury: a torn Achilles.
Bradley, who was going into year 4, suffered the injury late in the third quarter while blocking on an Eagles punt that ended up as a fumble recovery downfield by long snapper Rick Lovato. The hype from the turnover quickly dissipated, however, as attention immediately shifted back over to Bradley, who couldn't get off the field under his own power.
In tears and surrounded by teammates wishing him well, Bradley was put on the cart and taken back to the locker room, later being ruled out for the remainder of the game with a lower leg injury – though it was apparent that it was going to be much longer than that.
A product of Rancocas Valley High School and a sixth-round pick out of Temple in the 2020 draft, Bradley has appeared in 45 games over the past three years but primarily as a special teamer rather than a linebacker.
He came into camp this summer in the mix for a shot at playing time amongst a relatively weak linebacker group, but aside from starting every practice screaming at the top of his lungs, he's otherwise been lost in the shuffle, falling behind Christian Elliss and recent signees Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham on the projected depth chart.
Additionally, Bradley's special teams work alone might not have been enough to still salvage a roster spot, as former Eagles beat Les Bowen pointed out:
Welp. Truthfully, IR might be a good break for Shaun Bradley at this point. Not sure his special teams work was going to ensure a roster spot this year
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) August 13, 2023
"I've been beating the odds my entire life… I'm not even supposed to be here," Bradley wrote on his Instagram post. "Just another chapter in my story… I will be back better than I ever was… I can promise that."
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