At least one less Big 12 quarterback will enter the ranks of “NFL bust” in 2009, as Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford announced that he will return to OU for his redshirt-junior year. This is both the right and wrong decision for Bradford, depending on how you want to view it.

This is the right decision because Bradford clearly isn’t ready for the NFL. He has only two years of college experience, none of which require him to read defenses. He can still mature physically and he has a lot of learning to do about football still.

Additionally, Bradford would have been receiving an NFL death sentence to play for the Detroit Lions. Now, there is no guarantee that he won’t end up their with their first overall pick in 2010, but he at least stays away from that situation for a year.

Based on my theory about Big 12 quarterbacks, it doesn’t really matter a whole lot when Bradford goes pro, he’s not going to be successful, so from that perspective, why not start cashing checks now?

That brings us to the reason he should have gone pro now — his stock is not going to get any higher.

Bradford would have been drafted high this year, perhaps number one overall. That’s a whole lot of money that he would have made in the next 12 months, regardless of how well he played, or if he even played at all.

Even if Bradford returns to Oklahoma, puts up better numbers than he did his RS-sophomore year, wins the Heisman trophy and wins the BCS title, his stock would not be any higher than it is now.

In fact, if he doesn’t do at least two of those three things, his stock will probably drop. He’s not going to get any taller, and he won’t show his ability to read defenses any better after another year of not having to do it.

The stock of Sam Bradford will never be higher than it is in the offseason prior to the 2009 NFL draft. For that reason, he should have taken the paycheck when he had the chance, rather than risk his stock falling, or even worse, an injury.

Having said all that, I have nothing but respect for a college athlete returning to school for a chance to win. Bradford could be filthy rich in a few months with a chance to play at the highest level, but he instead took a shot at getting all that in a year, and winning a title with his teammates. He may have passed on some guaranteed money, but I wish there were way more Sam Bradfords, Tim Tebows, and Colt McCoys in college sports.

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