Mike Zimmer says it ‘doesn’t look good’ for Teddy Bridgewater following ‘significant’ knee injury
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater apparently suffered a non-contact injury during Tuesday’s practice and reports indicate it might have been extremely serious.
Bridgewater went down early during practice and the injury was reportedly so bad the Vikings stopped practice just 25 minutes in. The third-year quarterback reportedly hurt his left knee.
Bad scene. Bridgewater down in pocket grabbing left knee. Players freaked out, swearing and praying. Immobilized. Practice halted #Vikings
— Brian Murphy (@murphPPress) August 30, 2016
The Vikings just called off practice after 25 minutes, when Teddy Bridgewater went down on a non-contact play…. https://t.co/Ijo2wsYU67
— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingESPN) August 30, 2016
An ambulance was called to the scene to take Bridgewater to the hospital, which could signify a severe break that required immediate medical attention.
Ambulance arriving here at Winter Park for Teddy Bridgewater. pic.twitter.com/3efsByQP0M
— Ryan Shaver (@RShaverSports) August 30, 2016
No immediate diagnosis has been provided, but Vikings coach Mike Zimmer described it as a “significant” knee injury and said it “doesn’t look good” when asked about Bridgewater’s chances of playing this season. Zimmer also said that Bridgewater was sedated after undergoing tests.
Dr. David Chao, an expert on football injuries, said that bringing an ambulance to the field is a rare occurrence and noted that the ambulance was coming from a trauma center.
Not a lot of injuries require an ambulance. Not even an ACL tear. Whatever it is, hope nerve and artery are spared. https://t.co/afw1BM3l5F
— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) August 30, 2016
More than just an ambulance, picture showed paramedic from Hennepin County Medical Center which is trauma center. https://t.co/68pcY4ke31
— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) August 30, 2016
Bridgewater was expected to take on a larger role within Minnesota’s offense after spending his first two seasons primarily as a game manager. He threw for 3,231 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his sophomore campaign.
While legendary running back Adrian Peterson will remain at the forefront of Minnesota’s offensive game plan, Bridgewater was expected to factor in more often and show signs of blossoming into an eventual franchise quarterback.
The Vikings also spent a first-round pick on a new weapon, Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, to help add some more explosiveness to a passing attack that ranked 31st in the NFL last season.
Shaun Hill would likely step in if Bridgewater is out for any period of time. Hill has experience stepping in during dire straits, as he served as the replacement for Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2010 and Rams quarterback Sam Bradford in 2014 when both went down with season-ending injuries. He is 16-18 in 34 career starts with 8,053 career yards and 49 career touchdown passes.
