Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater might not step on the football field as a starter again until 2018.
The scary injury Bridgewater suffered before the 2016 season at one point had doctors suggesting his career might come to an end. A revised timetable suggests he’ll miss the entirety of next season, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole.
Mark Craig of the Star Tribune followed with a report of his own:
I'm hearing nothing has changed with Bridgewater's rehab timeline. Source says Teddy is rehabbing with no set timeline from team, Teddy.
— Mark Craig (@markcraignfl) January 27, 2017
A 2018 timetable isn’t too surprising given the severity of the injury. It’s a big part of the reason the Vikings went out and splurged on a trade for Sam Bradford, who started hot before the team around him fizzled. Bradford threw 20 touchdowns against five interceptions.
As ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling noted, the Vikings likely won’t have a problem waiting on Bridgewater:
And if he meets those qualifications, it’s always possible the Vikings could just decide to keep him. He’s almost five years to the day younger than Bradford (he doesn’t turn 25 until Nov. 10), and while Bradford’s relationship with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur means there’s a good chance he’ll be the team’s quarterback for the next several years, the Vikings could play things out for a year and see whether Bridgewater is ready to reassert himself as the starter in 2018.
In the same vein, the Vikings will likely keep an insurance policy around in case Bridgewater is never the same. He looked like a budding franchise quarterback before the hiccup, though one of this severity could mean a full halt to his momentum.
Regardless, don’t expect to see Bridgewater next year.
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