Philadelphia Eagles Fans Campaign for Pope Francis to Bless QB Sam Bradford’s Knee

By Alison Lesley --
18 Aug 2015 --

Keith Allison is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Eagles fans are hoping that the Holy Father will drop by the team’s facilities and bless Sam Bradford’s injured knee.

The itinerary for Pope Francis’ early fall visit to the United States is quite full, including a talk at the United Nations, a speech to Congress, and a Papal Address at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Eagles fans are hoping that the Holy Father will drop by the team’s facilities and bless Sam Bradford’s frequently wounded knee, nj.com is reporting.

Sign the petition for the Pope to bless Sam Bradfords knees https://t.co/OYBnEJDyIk via @Change
— Dan Wasson (@dwass_412) August 9, 2015

Bradford was drafted as the number one overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in the 2010 draft out of the University of Oklahoma, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore.

But his career with the Rams was marred by two ACL injuries. He’s only appeared in seven games since 2013, reports CBS Sports.

The sports community has branded Philadelphia fans with many an adjective, many of them negative in nature. But one must admit that “passionate” has to be among them as well. At the writing of this article, 5,975 fans signed the petition at change.org.

Temple student Pratik Patel started the petition about a week ago with a goal of 7,500 signatures. The petition has gained momentum over the last few days, adding over 3,500 names to the list.

While the neither the Eagles nor Bradford have commented on the petition, both parties might secretly hope that Pope Francis takes notice.

Coach Chip Kelly talks to his players during August 16’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Head coach Chip Kelly and company traded Nick Foles, who had been effective as the quarterback of the team, and a few draft picks to St. Louis for Bradford, clearly taking a chance on the oft-injured signal caller.

Not only will Bradford like to complete a full season on the field, but he is also in the last year of his contract, and his chances of signing another lucrative, long-term deal in his career depend on his ability to both stay on the field and lead the Eagles to a playoff run.

We will have to wait and see if the Pope responds to the call of Eagles fans.

Update: Over 6,200 fans have now signed the petition.