Local Star Reached The Apex With The Eagles

Linebacker Shaun Bradley announced he was retiring from the NFL on Friday after a career that panned all three levels in the Delaware Valley.

Aug 3, 2023; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Shaun Bradley reacts as he takes the field for practice at Novacare Complex. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - He wasn’t the biggest name in the NFL, but it would be remiss not to make mention of former Eagles’ linebacker Shaun Bradley announcing his retirement from professional football on Friday at the age of 28.

In all honesty, this is how it happens for most in a sport often defined by its competitiveness, and the stark toll it can take on any player’s body.  

The game decided it was done with Bradley after neck and Achilles injuries derailed a promising start as a special teams stalwart early in the Temple product's career.

The Achilles came in the first preseason game at Baltimore in August of 2023, when attempting to block a punt. 

That was the final season on Bradley’s rookie deal as a sixth-round pick out in 2020, and he was unable to play another regular-season game after the injury.

Bradley attempted to latch on with Houston and Kansas City over the past two years, even spending a month on the Texans’ practice squad in 2024.

No Delaware Valley Detour

Oct 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Shaun Bradley (54) reacts against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Locally, Bradley made an indelible mark, spending his entire football journey in the Delaware Valley. A South Jersey kid who attended Rancocas Valley Regional High School before deciding on Temple University.

The trip to the professional ranks was a short one, from North Broad Street in Philadelphia to South Broad, with Lincoln Financial Field serving as the home turf for both the Owls and the Eagles. 

In 2021, Bradley’s second season as a pro, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni steered to Bradley in an unprompted fashion, lobbying for the speedy linebacker to earn Pro Bowl recognition for his impact on the third phase.

Two days before his Achilles’ injury in 2023, Bradley went viral for his daily practice tradition, a guttural scream as he emerged from the NovaCare Complex foreshadowing the day’s practice was about to begin.

Shaun Bradley’s pre-practice scream interrupting Nick Sirianni’s morning Press Conference 😂😂😂#Eagles pic.twitter.com/H3DVg4SxTr

— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) August 10, 2023

The energy and enthusiasm were just business as usual for Bradley, but this one was caught while Sirianni was in the middle of his pre-practice press conference.

The record book will tell you Bradley played 45 games for the Eagles and tallied 45 tackles. That’s a high bar to reach for anyone, but it also doesn’t begin to explain what Bradley meant to the franchise and the local football community.

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