Eagles Notes: Bradford likes the idea of pope blessing his knees

If the Eagles' only prayer for winning the Super Bowl involves Sam Bradford's remaining healthy, then fans have a creative idea on who should offer the blessing. Pope Francis will visit Philadelphia in September and Pratik Patel of Audubon, Pa., has started an online petition for divine intervention.

The petition is for the pope to bless Bradford's knees. The left one has been surgically repaired twice because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

"If I got to meet the pope, I think that would be pretty cool," Bradford said with a laugh. "If he wanted to bless my knees, then I'm all for it, I guess."

Bradford first heard about the petition before he met with reporters on Tuesday. The Eagles will play the New York Jets - whose fans might want the pope to bless their quarterback's jaw - on Sept. 27, when the Papal Mass for the World Meeting of Families is held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Before Bradford can worry about September, he must get through August. The preseason opener is on Sunday against the visiting Indianapolis Colts. Coach Chip Kelly said the coaching staff had not had any discussions about Bradford's playing time for the opener. Bradford said the decision is Kelly's to make, but he would like to play in the game.

"Obviously for me, I feel I need to get back on the field to get those reps," Bradford said. "It's been a long time since I've taken live team reps. Whether that happens in the first game, the second game, the third game, the fourth game, that's completely up to Coach. But I think it's definitely beneficial."

When Bradford returned from ACL surgery last summer, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher held him out of the first preseason game. Bradford said sitting out on Sunday would only increase his anxiety about the second game.

Also, playing in a preseason game can help Bradford show how his knee will hold up in live action. A question about the pope offered a welcome respite from the usual questions about his recovery.

"If me playing in the first preseason game stops [the media from] asking about my knee," Bradford said, "then yes, I'm absolutely all for playing in the first preseason game."

Linebacker Kiko Alonso remains out while going through the league-mandated concussion protocol. Tuesday marked one week since he was hurt. Safety Jerome Couplin also remains sidelined while recovering from an appendectomy last week.

The Eagles signed cornerback Marc Anthony. Anthony, 25, was a seventh-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. The California product spent his rookie season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad and last preseason with the Tennessee Titans.

Anthony took the roster spot of defensive lineman Frances Mays, who was waived/injured on Monday because of a ruptured tendon in his finger that requires surgery.

The Eagles will not risk exposing injured cornerback JaCorey Shepherd to waivers to open room on the 90-man roster, so the team must wait until the roster is cut to 75 by Sept. 1 before it can use injured reserve to free his spot.

- Zach Berman