While the news regarding NFL team’s quarterbacks has been pretty dire the last month, one team got a good report on their signal caller. Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater is set to return to the Vikings on Sunday and could see action in their contest against Washington.
It has been 15 months since the 24-year-old starter’s horrific injury he suffered in a noncontact drill during an Aug. 30, 2016 practice. The then third-year pro suffered a dislocated knee and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The first-round pick from the University of Louisville was tabbed as the future for the Vikings and made his debut in the third week of the 2014 season after veteran Matt Cassel was injured. He led the team to the playoffs in 2015, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 10-9.
Return Highly Anticipated
Though the team signed former Ram Sam Bradford to take over for Bridgewater when he was injured, it was assumed he was just keeping the seat warm until he returned. Coach Mike Zimmer didn’t have to make the decision, however, as Bradford was put on injured reserve after getting his knee scoped to repair cartilage damage.
Bradford’s return this season is in doubt and Zimmer said that Case Keenum with be the starter this Sunday and Bridgewater will back him up. But how long a leash Keenum will have before the coach puts in his former starter has sportsbooks already moving the line. They opened as a 3-point favorite on the road but after the news have moved to as low as a point.
“He’s done excellent. He’s moved well, thrown the ball well. Good accuracy,” Zimmer said of his now backup. “When he was rehabbing before he started practicing he was throwing to non-receivers. But since then he’s been pretty good. There might have been one day he was a little rusty, I thought. But for the most part I’ve thought he’s throwing the ball pretty well.”
The Vikings are currently 6-2 and leading the NFC North by two games over the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
Rough Year for Quarterbacks
This year several teams have seen their starting signal callers go down with season-ending injuries. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone and his replacement Brett Hundley has been winless in two starts. The Packers are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
The Arizona Cardinals were probably not going to the playoffs this season, but their backup Drew Stanton did lead them over the winless San Francisco 49ers, 22-10 last weekend. Starter Carson Palmer was lost for the season three weeks ago when he broke his left arm.
Indianapolis has been without its main QB Andrew Luck since the beginning of the season and the team reported this week that he is probably out for the year. There was hope that he would be able to return from shoulder surgery that was performed in January. Jacoby Brissett has been in the pocket since Week 2, but the Colts currently have a 3-6 record.