Bradford to start season opener for Rams

ST. LOUIS -- No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Bradford will start at quarterback in the regular-season opener at home against Arizona next weekend.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo announced the decision Saturday, saying Bradford had earned the job.

"We're confident. The staff's confident. The team's confident," Spagnuolo said. "It's well deserved."

The game is Sept. 12. A.J. Feeley, whose injury gave Bradford the chance to take plenty of snaps in the preseason, and Thad Lewis are the backups.

Bradford won the 2008 Heisman Trophy when he was at Oklahoma. He signed a six-year, $78 million contract with $50 million in guaranteed money -- the most ever in the NFL -- and then went out and played well in the preseason against the likes of New England and Baltimore.

"I feel like coach has given me a great opportunity to start next week against Arizona," Bradford said. "I realize there is a lot of responsibility that comes with that opportunity."

While the low-key Bradford did manage to smile when talking, he said he is ready.

"Definitely. I'm a competitor," Bradford said. "I sat on the bench last year with an injury and it's something that I did not enjoy at all. Just to have the opportunity to play football again, it's really something that I look forward to."

In his two preseason starts, Bradford was 21 of 28 for 257 yards and three touchdowns.

Bradford completed 33 of 55 passes for 338 yards with no interceptions in the preseason.

Bradford likely sealed the deal with his performance against Baltimore in the preseason finale last Thursday.

Bradford's opening drive set the tone for a 27-21 victory that gave the Rams a 3-1 preseason finish for the second straight season. He was 6 of 6 for 68 yards and a touchdown in his one series, one week after a two-TD effort.

"It was evident in these last three games that he had pretty good control of what we're doing," Spagnuolo said. "The team kind of rallies around him."