Teddy Bridgewater Injury Update: Doctors Reportedly Concerned About QB's Future

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Sunday NFL Countdown that doctors around the NFL are worried Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater might never play in the league again, per Will Brinson of CBS Sports:

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Teddy Bridgewater continues to rehab in Minnesota and he is making progress. Nearly two months after he dislocated his knee, Bridgewater is making strides and Vikings officials are pleased with where he's at. But other doctors around the league know there are no guarantees Bridgewater will be able to return to the type of quarterback he was, if he makes it back to the NFL at all. 

As one doctor who's worked with NFL teams said this week, "If he didn't make it back, it wouldn't surprise me. This is a bad injury, about the worst knee injury a player can have."

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When asked about the reports on Saturday, Bridgewater declined to comment, and wouldn't say when he would address the media next, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. 

Bridgewater, 23, dislocated his knee and also suffered a torn ACL during a drill at practice in late August, ending his 2016 season. The injury was a major blow to the Vikings, who made the postseason in 2015 after Bridgewater threw for 3,231 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions, completing 65.3 percent of his passes.

He also rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.

While Bridgewater's numbers weren't impressive, he successfully managed games and limited crucial mistakes, allowing the team to rely on its rushing attack behind Adrian Peterson and a strong defense. 

The Vikings traded a first-round pick in 2017 and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2018 to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterback Sam Bradford in September. Shaun Hill started the team's opening game and led Minnesota to a win before Bradford took over as the starting quarterback. He has gone 4-1 with 1,214 passing yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. 

The Vikings are tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the best record in the NFC at 5-1.

Thus, Bridgewater's injury concerns and the future of his knee—combined with the fact that Bradford has played well for the Vikings, especially with Peterson on injured reserve with a torn meniscus—will leave the organization with a fascinating decision at quarterback in the future. Bradford is under contract through the 2017 season, which provides the Vikings with a contingency plan should Bridgewater's recovery take well into next year.

But if Bradford, 28, continues to thrive, Bridgewater's future with the organization could be in a backup role, at least while Bradford remains a Viking. For the moment, however, the Vikings will simply hope that Bridgewater can continue his playing career.

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