Sam Bradford didn’t have to step back into football. But when he did, John Mateer became the obvious place to start.
According to SoonerScoop’s George Stoia III, Mateer’s offseason work has included film study with the former Oklahoma star, and it was Bradford who made the first move. Stoia reported Monday that Bradford reached out after realizing he missed being around the game and wanted a way to help a younger quarterback.
"I was just looking for a way to get back into football a little bit," Bradford told Stoia.
"It's something that I love, and it's something that I miss. I don't have a ton of time on my hands.
But I had enough to drive down there a few times. And honestly, I think as you get older, you realize there's a way that you can give back to someone who's younger than you, going through some of the same things that you did, and if you can help them in any way - people did that for me.
"So I think I just looked at it as a way for me to be able to give back and to be a part of it and to really have fun in the film room again."
Bradford’s resume makes the whole thing matter. He spent nine seasons in the NFL with the St.
Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals. He was NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2010, and injuries kept him from fully reaching the ceiling many expected.
Before that, he was a monster at Oklahoma, leading the Sooners to back-to-back Big 12 titles and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.
For Mateer, that kind of guidance lands at exactly the right time. His first season in Norman was uneven after he arrived from Washington State as the top quarterback in the portal.
A broken thumb complicated things, though he missed only one game after surgery and still finished with 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 62.2% of his throws. Oklahoma still made the College Football Playoff, but the year didn’t quite match the expectations that came with the transfer.
The biggest issue all season was the same one that keeps hanging over him now: decision-making and accuracy. That’s where Bradford fits so neatly. Those were the areas that defined Bradford’s game at Oklahoma, too.
Bradford threw only 16 interceptions in his OU career, and in his Heisman season he attempted 86 more passes than Mateer did in 2025. Later, in 2016, he led the NFL in completion percentage.
There’s also a bigger picture here for Brent Venables and Oklahoma. Bradford is back in his home state now as an entrepreneur and serious golfer, and Stoia reported that he attends most Sooners home games. He saw Mateer’s first season up close, which only adds weight to the mentorship.
Venables finally brought in a real quarterbacks coach last year when he hired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who brought quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski with him. Mateer still had his struggles, but the setup was a clear upgrade from 2024, when Seth Littrell coached the position with no prior experience and the quarterback play from Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins Jr. helped make the offense unwatchable.
That’s why Bradford’s involvement matters. The more smart voices around the Sooners’ most important player, the better.
Bradford has the background, the credibility and the Oklahoma connection to be more than just a casual helper. If Venables can keep that door open, it could pay off for Mateer and for Oklahoma’s push to stay QBU.
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