Teddy Bridgewater's Surgeon Discusses Injury: 'Almost Like a War Wound'

The surgeon who operated on New York Jets quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's knee drew a scary parallel when describing the damage done to the fourth-year passer in 2016.

"It was just a horribly grotesque injury," Dan Cooper said in an interview with ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor. "... It's mangled. You make the skin incision, and there's nothing there. It's almost like a war wound. Everything is blown."

Bridgewater tore his ACL and dislocated his knee during practice in August 2016. As a result, he missed all of the 2016 season and played just one game in 2017. The injury was serious enough that Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman "possibly saved Teddy's career and his leg."

Beyond the injury itself, the recovery was another massive hurdle for Bridgewater. Cooper described the surgery as "an absolute gut test" and "a test of what you're made of," adding Bridgewater didn't lose focus of his long-term goal.

Bridgewater became a free agent in the offseason after the Vikings declined to try to toll his rookie contract for the time he missed. The 25-year-old signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Jets. Through two preseason games, he has thrown for 212 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

The big question is whether Bridgewater starts the 2018 regular season in New York.

The Jets traded their 2018 first-round pick and three second-round selections in order to move up to the third pick and eventually select Sam Darnold. Regardless of Bridgewater's success this year in the Big Apple, Darnold is the franchise quarterback.

Financially, the team also has some incentive to try to capitalize on Bridgewater's value now. The Jets would save $5 million, with only $1 million counting against the salary cap in dead money by trading him.

Whether it's with the Jets or another team, the fact Bridgewater continues to have an NFL career is an achievement on its own given the severity of his knee injury.