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Teddy Bridgewater Eyeing Week 10 Return

October 22nd, 2017 at 2:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater are targeting a Week 10 return for the fourth-year signal-caller, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).Teddy Bridgewater (vertical)

Bridgewater, of course, is currently on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a devastating knee injury during 2016 training camp, but he’s impressively battled back and is set to return to the field. The NFL’s PUP rules require a player to be activated within three weeks of initiating practice (which Bridgewater did last Wednesday), so Week 10 is actually the latest Bridgewater can come back.

“I’m very confident. I wouldn’t go out on that practice field if I wasn’t,” Bridgewater said last week. “I definitely believe I’ll play this year. It’s going to take some grit. That’s just the mindset.”

The fact that the Vikings will likely wait until the last possible week before activating Bridgewater speaks to the patience the club is practicing with its recovering quarterback, as Rapoport indicates. But it also sets up a situation where Minnesota could be choosing between Bridgewater, Sam Bradford, and Case Keenum under center. Bradford is expected to play again this season, while Keenum has performed admirably in relief of Bradford in five starts.

Reports on Bridgewater’s status have been positive through a half-week of practice, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com writes. Physically, Bridgewater appears larger and has added mass in his upper body, which is especially noticeable given that his slight stature was a predraft concern. Additionally, Bridgwater’s arm has “wowed” onlookers during his time on the field, per Pelissero.

Latest On Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater

October 19th, 2017 at 7:05pm CST by Ben Levine

After suffering a career-threatening knee injury in 2016, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is confident he’ll see the field this season. The signal-caller returned to practice on Wednesday, and he told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that he “didn’t feel rusty at all.”

Teddy Bridgewater (vertical)“I’m very confident. I wouldn’t go out on that practice field if I wasn’t,” Bridgewater said (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler). “I definitely believe I’ll play this year. It’s going to take some grit. That’s just the mindset.”

The quarterback also told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he could have practiced several weeks ago had he been eligible to come off the injured reserve (Twitter link). After having torn his ACL last August, there were some reports stating that Bridgewater’s career could be in jeopardy. Instead, the 24-year-old ultimately returned to the field in less than 14 months. Bridgewater was officially cleared to practice earlier this week.

Sam Bradford was acquired by Minnesota last season and has filled in admirably during Bridgewater’s absence. Last season, the former first-overall pick completed a league-leading 71.6-percent of his passes for 3,877 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He completed 32 of his 43 attempts for 382 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in two games this season, but he’s struggled through injuries for much of the campaign. Case Keenum has been solid filling in, throwing for 1,134 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.

While the Vikings may not be eager to rush Bridgewater back this season, there’s no denying he’d be vying for the starting gig in 2018. Bridgewater’s last full season came in 2015, when he threw for 3,231 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The former first-rounder also ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries.

Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater Cleared To Practice

October 16th, 2017 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

Teddy Bridgewater will soon be able to return to the field. The Vikings quarterback has been cleared to practice, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). He got the green light from the very same doctor who performed the surgery on his dislocated knee. Teddy Bridgewater (vertical)

Bridgewater suffered a gruesome knee injury last August and missed the entirety of the 2016 season. At the time of the injury, it wasn’t certain when he would return or even if he would able to. After more than a year of difficult rehab work, Bridgewater is on the verge of being able to play.

Whether Bridgewater actually gets to see the field this season will depend on a few factors. Vikings starter Sam Bradford has been sidelined for the last game-and-a-half with a knee injury, but backup Case Keenum has proven to be a capable fill-in. If Bradford returns to full health or Keenum continues to roll, Bridgewater might not get the chance to take the field in 2017. However, he could be called upon if one or both QBs cannot get the job done.

Bridgewater will begin practicing on Wednesday. If the Vikings take Bridgewater off the PUP list, they will trigger a three-week window before having to decide whether to place him on the active roster or park him on injured reserve. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that the team expects to activate him this week or next week.

NFC Notes: Vikings, Ngata, Seahawks

October 15th, 2017 at 11:33am CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings are facing a quarterback crossroads, as are the quarterbacks themselves. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Sam Bradford traveled to New York late this past week to begin Regenokine treatments in hopes of getting inflammation out of his ailing knee (the treatment involves drawing blood, spinning it down, and re-injecting it into the knee over the course of a few days). He is doing everything he can to ease the pain in his knee, but the fact that he missed three games due to the injury and then was pulled in the second quarter of last week’s contest is obviously not a good sign. In fact, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said today that Bradford’s knee situation is worse than people know (Twitter link).

Teddy Bridgewater, meanwhile, will receive an important checkup tomorrow. He is eligible to begin practicing this week, and the physical will determine whether that is feasible. Sources close to Bridgewater say he is ready to go, and if he is, in fact, activated from the PUP list this season, Rapoport says his contract will not toll, which means he will be a free agent at the end of the season. If he is not activated, the contract will toll and he will remain under club control through 2018.

Now for more from the NFC:

  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says it is possible that DT Haloti Ngata, whose contract expires at the end of the year and who suffered a season-ending bicep injury last week, returns to the team in 2018. However, Birkett believes it is more likely that the longtime star retires.
  • The Seahawks are making a concerted effort to improve their O-line via trade, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who says the team is focused on landing disgruntled Texans star Duane Brown. We heard last week that the Texans intend to retain Brown, but that could always change if Seattle’s offer is strong enough.
  • The 49ers released NaVorro Bowman earlier this week, and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says the team will continue to look to trade and/or release some of its long-term veterans over the next couple of weeks as it embarks on a full-fledged youth movement.
  • The 49ers will carry $4.774MM of dead money on the books in 2018 following Bowman’s release, but they will save all $9.45MM of his 2018 pay, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
  • Rapoport believes the Saints may be in the trading mood after failing to trade for Bowman, and he says the team could consider trading LB Hau’oli Kikaha (Twitter link). Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune, however, suggests (via Twitter) that is not likely.

Teddy Bridgewater Likely To Return Week 7

September 25th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is eligible to return from the physically unable to perform list beginning in Week 7, and a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Bridgewater will be “ready to go” at that time.Teddy Bridgewater (vertical)

Bridgewater, who suffered a gruesome knee injury last August and missed the entirety of the 2016 season, would give Minnesota another option at quarterback, a position that’s already been affected by health questions this year. Sam Bradford, whom the Vikings acquired in the wake of Bradford’s injury, posted one of the best performances of his career in Week 1, but has since missed two games while dealing with his own knee issue.

Case Keenum has filled in for Bradford against the Steelers and Buccaneers, and played extremely well in Week 3 against Tampa Bay, completing 75% of his passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns. While Bridgewater’s own health isn’t a given going forward, his presence would give the Vikings three competent players under center if Bradford can return.

If Bridgewater can return, any questions about his contract status would be avoided. If he’d been forced to miss the 2017 campaign, the final year of his rookie deal may have tolled, preventing him from becoming an unrestricted free agent next spring. If he can make it back to the field, however, Bridgewater should hit the open market in 2018 after the Vikings declined his fifth-year option.

Sam Bradford Inactive For Week 2; Teddy Bridgewater Could Return Midseason

September 17th, 2017 at 11:03am CST by Rory Parks

Vikings QB Sam Bradford is officially inactive for today’s game against the Steelers, which means that backup Case Keenum will get the start in his stead. Kyle Sloter, who was promoted from Minnesota’s practice squad earlier this week, will serve as Keenum’s backup.

Teddy Bridgewater

This is tough news for the Vikings, as Bradford was terrific in the team’s Week 1 victory over New Orleans and had seemingly established a strong rapport with top wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Bradford is dealing with swelling, pain, and discomfort in the same left knee that had been repaired for torn ACLs in 2013 and 2014, and while he was briefly on the field for warmups today, he did not stay for long and did not test his knee much, if at all (as Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network tweets). Although Keenum has a 9-7 record as a starter over the past three seasons, Minnesota needs Bradford if it wants to make a playoff push. Kinkhabwala does report (via Twitter) that the Vikings are hopeful that Bradford will return next week.

In some good news for the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reports that Teddy Bridgewater will be ready to play by midseason. Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury last year and is currently on the PUP list, but his return could be a boon for Minnesota, particularly if Bradford struggles with his health.

It was not too long ago that Bridgewater was considered the quarterback of the future in Minnesota, but his knee injury precipitated the team’s trade for Bradford and led to questions about whether Bridgewater would even be able to continue his career. While it is impossible to predict if he will xhibit the same level of ability he did prior to the injury, at least he appears to be on the right track at the moment.

Vikings’ 53-Man Roster Set

September 2nd, 2017 at 4:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings made their mandatory cuts to pare their roster down to the 53-man ceiling. Here are the rearrangements Minnesota made to set its regular-season roster.

Cut:

Placed on IR:

Placed on Reserve/PUP list:

Placed on Reserve/NFI list:

Placed on Reserve/Suspended list:

Vikings To Put Teddy Bridgewater On PUP

September 1st, 2017 at 10:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are expected to keep quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on the PUP list for six games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This means that the Vikings haven’t ruled out the possibility of him playing in 2017. Teddy Bridgewater (vertical)

[RELATED: Dolphins Considered Teddy Bridgewater]

If placed on PUP, Bridgewater will be shelved for the first six weeks of the season. After that point, if he’s healthy enough, he can return to the active roster as Sam Bradford‘s understudy. Even if Bradford stays healthy and productive, that could be a significant development for Bridgewater. It is believed that Bridgewater can avoid having his contract toll if he does not miss the entire 2017 season. If he does miss the year, then the Vikings will be able to keep him under contract through 2018 as a part of his rookie deal.

In May, it was reported that Bridgewater would fight a PUP designation if he believed he could pass a physical. It’s not clear if Bridgewater can get a medical green light at this point, nor do we know whether that’s still his intent.

North Notes: Bridgewater, Steelers, Ravens

August 26th, 2017 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Zimmer shed some light on Teddy Bridgewater‘s progress recently, revealing (via Jay Glazer of Fox Sports; Twitter link) there is a “possibility” the fourth-year quarterback returns for the Vikings this season. Zimmer reiterates Bridgewater has not been able to practice yet, further pointing to an uncertain future for the former starting quarterback.

CBA language is murky regarding what could happen if Bridgewater begins the season the Reserve/PUP list, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noting this, as written, would cause the passer’s contract to toll and keep him on the Vikings in 2018 as part of his rookie deal. While this subject has been broached a few times this offseason, Florio adds that this contract rule as applied would suggest Bridgewater would need to miss the entire season for his deal to be carried over onto Minnesota’s 2018 books. So, the former Louisville star returning from the PUP list this season could be pivotal for his career, even if Sam Bradford has a firm grip on the starting job.

This could be a drawn-out process for Bridgewater and the Vikings without a near-future resolution, but it’s definitely a worthwhile subplot to their season. Here’s the latest in relevant North-divisions subplots.

  • Several backups complemented Antonio Brown for the Steelers in the AFC championship game last season as injuries and unavailability mounted, and they’re almost all on the roster bubble now. Sammie Coates and Darrius Heyward-Bey are not locks to make the Steelers’ 53-man roster, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes. Coates, Heyward-Bey, Justin Hunter, Cobi Hamilton and Demarcus Ayers are fighting for the final two spots — behind Brown, Martavis Bryant, Eli Rogers and JuJu Smith-Schuster, per Fittipaldo. The Steelers started Ayers, Hamilton and Heyward-Bey at least once apiece in their three-game playoff sojourn last season, but now that they are deeper, won’t need some of these players to return. Coates not being given a third year would be notable for the 2015 third-round pick, who’s been inconsistent, but the remainder of these players mostly saw action due to higher-level performers’ unavailability in 2016.
  • The Ravens aren’t as deep as their rivals at wideout, and injuries have limited the competition behind locks Jeremy Maclin, Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun writes. Michael Campanaro, Chris Moore and Chris Matthews and rookie UDFA Quincy Adeboyejo lead the competition for the final spots, per Zreibec. This would stand to put Griff Whalen and Keenan Reynolds on the outside looking in. Zreibec calls the recently re-signed Campanaro close to a roster lock but assigns slipping stock to Moore. Adeboyejo may see a knee injury dash his hopes at making the team.
  • Bengals DC Paul Guenther discussed the prospect of acquiring defensive end Chris Smith with player personnel director Duke Tobin, expressing support for a move that eventually came April 11 via trade from the Jaguars, Paul Dehner Jr. of cincinnati.com reports. Smith participated in only 311 defensive plays in three Jacksonville seasons, and did not suit up in 10 games last season, but looks to have made a good case for more playing time in Cincinnati, Dehner Jr. writes.
  • Kyle Long not set to play in the Bears‘ third preseason game — and likely not Chicago’s fourth exhibition tilt — makes the guard’s Week 1 status uncertain, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The Bears are being cautious with their top guard after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in November 2016.

Dolphins Considered Teddy Bridgewater

August 7th, 2017 at 1:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Before the Dolphins brought Jay Cutler out of retirement, they considered a number of other quarterbacks. In addition to Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton, Miami also internally discussed Teddy Bridgewater of the Vikings, Brock Osweiler of the Browns, and Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert. Teddy Bridgewater (vertical)

[RELATED: Dolphins Sign Jay Cutler]

As far as we know the Dolphins didn’t get far enough to reach out to the Vikings about a potential Bridgewater trade and that makes sense considering his murky medical situation. Bridgewater is currently on the PUP list and no one knows what his status will be to start the season. It’s possible that Bridgewater’s gruesome knee injury from 2016 will keep him off the field until 2018. Even then, no one knows what kind of player he will be once he’s ready to return.

Osweiler was mentioned early on as a possibility when Ryan Tannehill suffered his knee injury, but the Browns rejected at least one trade offer for him this offseason and they’re leaning towards starting him in Week 1. The Browns may reconsider that position if the right offer comes their way, but the Dolphins are no longer a potential suitor after landing Cutler.

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