Sam Bradford had about the game of his life against the Saints on Monday. A week later, due to concerns over his surgically repaired knee, it looks a lot more likely that he'll sit out than start against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This article calls him a gametime decision, saying Bradford would test his knee in pregame warmups. But the quotes in it are from Friday, and there seems to be less optimism Sunday morning. NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala said that Bradford was on and off the field very quickly after testing it -- "barely tested it, didn't drop back at all" -- which suggests it's not feeling right.
Bradford himself shouldn't be used; looks very unlikely he'll be out there, and might not make it through the game even if active.
Case Keenum would draw the start, raising the question of where Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen should be slotted. Both guys should be dropped down the rankings some; the overall projection for the passing game is less if it's Keenum rather than Bradford. I was planning on using Thielen in a daily lineup and will now likely shift off to another player.
It's not as if these receivers have no value. They're still the main cogs in the passing game, and Minnesota might have trouble moving the ball on the ground at Pittsburgh. But Keenum isn't as good as Bradford, so yards and touchdowns should be down.
A couple of other notable injury notes:
- Jarvis Landry (knee) expected to play without limitation
- Jordan Howard (shoulder) is also expected to play
--Andy Richardson