In 2008, Bradford became only the second sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy as he led the highest-scoring offense in NCAA history, passing for 4,720 yards with 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

As a senior, he averaged 18.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and played on the same elite AAU team as fellow Oklahoma City native and NBA star Blake Griffin.

[7] In golf, Bradford defeated future PGA touring pros Kevin Tway and Robert Streb during his high school career.

He quit the sport that same year, and according to his former hockey coach Mike McEwen, who played on three Stanley Cup championship teams with the New York Islanders, Bradford had the talent to make it in the NHL.

[8] In the spring of 2005, by the end of Bradford's junior season, he garnered interest from several Division I football programs, including Stanford, Michigan, Texas Tech, and nearby Oklahoma.

[9] Bradford was ranked behind Pat Devlin, "Juice" Williams, and Josh Freeman, and was overshadowed by five-star recruits such as Mitch Mustain, Matthew Stafford, and Tim Tebow.

The same year, Oklahoma's starting quarterback Rhett Bomar, then a sophomore, was dismissed from the team for violating NCAA rules.

[11] Paul Thompson, a senior quarterback-turned-wide receiver, converted back to quarterback and led the 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team to win the Big 12 Championship Game.

[16] The very next game, Bradford broke Heisman Trophy winner Jason White's school record for most consecutive pass completions with 22 (18 came in the first half and 4 at the start of the second).

[38] In the Sooners' first game of the season (against Brigham Young), Bradford suffered a third-degree AC joint sprain one play after becoming Oklahoma's all-time passing leader.

[39][40] After missing three weeks, Bradford returned to the field during the Baylor game, and completed 27 of 49 passes for 389 yards and one touchdown, leading the Sooners to a 33–7 victory.

[65] On March 19, Bradford met with the St. Louis Rams, who held the first overall pick, general manager Billy Devaney and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur in Pensacola, Florida, where he had been training and rehabbing since undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder.

[76] On September 12, 2010, in his first regular season game as the starting quarterback for the Rams, Bradford completed 32 of 55 passes for 253 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions in a 17–13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

[77] Two weeks later, he then achieved his first victory as an NFL starter when the Rams defeated the Washington Redskins in an upset by a score of 30–16, which snapped a 13-game overall home losing streak.

[80] In his first eight games, he scored eleven touchdowns, which tied an NFL record—held by Dan Marino (1983), Peyton Manning (1998), and Ben Roethlisberger (2004)—for over that span by a rookie since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.

[83] On November 28, 2010, against the Denver Broncos, Bradford became the first rookie in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions during a road victory.

[86][87][88] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the fourth Rams quarterback to claim this award, joining Dieter Brock (1985), Jim Everett (1986), and Tony Banks.

[90][91] During the off-season, there was much speculation that the Rams would select Heisman Trophy winner and former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

[96] Bradford finished the season with career best numbers: 3,702 passing yards, 21 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions and an 82.6 passer rating to go along with 59.5 completion percentage.

[97] After adding players in the offseason including offensive tackle Jake Long, tight end Jared Cook, receiver Tavon Austin, and linebacker Alec Ogletree, some analysts expected the Rams and Bradford to excel in 2013.

[105] However, during the Rams' Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers, Bradford tore his left ACL on a run out of bounds after a hit from safety Mike Mitchell, ending his season.

[108] Bradford suffered an injury to the same ACL after being sacked during a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns and missed the entire 2014 season.

[110][111][112] In his first game as a Philadelphia Eagle, Bradford completed 36 out of 52 passes for a touchdown and two interceptions in a season opening 26–24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

[114] In Week 6, he threw three interceptions, but the Eagles still gained a 27–7 win over the New York Giants to move Philadelphia to 3–3 and first place in the NFC East, mainly thanks to the defense and run game.

This led to speculation that Bradford would be traded or used as a stopgap while Chase Daniel educated the newly drafted quarterback in new head coach Doug Pederson's offensive scheme.

[127][128] The trade was made after Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a season-ending ACL tear during team practice on August 30, 2016.

[129] Fifteen days after being traded, Bradford made his first start for the Vikings in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, despite not having much time to learn the offense.

[133] In the Vikings' win over the New York Giants in Week 4, Bradford threw a touchdown pass and did not throw an interception for the third straight game.

[136] His throw was batted into the air by Lions defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker, but Bradford caught the ball and ran towards the sideline, gaining five yards.

[143] In Week 5, Bradford made his second and final start of the season, going 5-for-11 for 36 yards before being relieved by Case Keenum late in the second quarter of a 20-17 Vikings victory over the Chicago Bears.