Sam Bradford will be week 1 starter for Philadelphia Eagles

PHILADELPHIA, June 3 (UPI) -- Despite dealing with unrelenting drama this offseason coming from Sam Bradford's camp, first year Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson maintains that he is the starting quarterback.

Pederson reiterated Friday that Bradford will be "his starting QB, barring injury, for Game 1 in September," according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz will likely take an understudy role to Bradford, but his leash is incredibly short with the talented newcomer barking at his heels.

The Eagles staff might not be on the same page with Bradford. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich said last month that Bradford is not the clear No. 1 quarterback.

"No, that's probably not the right impression," Reich told 94WIP Morning Show in May. "I've been around this business a long time as a player and as a coach, and one of the things I've really come to appreciate is it's not a contradiction to say you've got to have order. Because if you don't order it's chaos. So, if you're the head coach you gotta come in and you've gotta establish order. There has to be organization, there has to be order, but the other thing that — as coaches — that you've got to establish is a culture of competition. This is one of the most competitive industries in the world and so, to say that there's not competition, that's just the furthest thing from the truth."

"So, I don't see the problem with creating order and competition at the same time, personally," Reich added. "Every one of us as a coach and a player, you're working harder to get better, but in that process you have to establish order and things have a way of working themselves out."

Bradford requested a trade earlier this offseason, despite a $36 million deal with the team, including $26 million guaranteed. Now the 28-year-old says that Philadelphia is the place he wants to be, according to Pro Football Talk.

Reich appears to have changed his tune on Bradford. While media personalities say that Bradford has not been good at Eagles OTAs, the coach told Dave Spadaro: "Sam hasn't only been good in OTAs, he's been great. His production, everything about the way he has performed in OTAs has been, and it's not an overstatement to say this, off the charts. He's really been good."

Bradford completed 346-of-532 passes, for 3,725 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season for the Eagles.