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Less than 15 months after nearly losing his leg, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater returned to practice on October 18th and was a full participant in his first practice as a member of the 53-man roster on Wednesday after Sam Bradford was deactivated.
Bridgewater's journey wasn't easy, and at times, a return to the football field seemed impossible. His drive and spirit have inspired his coaches and teammates, even the one who's job he might take.
During the final practice of the preseason last August, Bridgewater torn his left ACL and dislocated his knee during a non-contact drill. The injury was incredibly gruesome, forcing various teammates to look away, per Brian Murphy of TwinCities.com.
If it wasn't for the miraculous work of the paramedics on-scene, Bridgewater's football career isn't the only thing he would've lost. From Murphy:
First responders rushed in to stabilize the nerves around his knee, which dangled from ligaments freakishly torn from his patella, fibula and tibia.
“I’m glad everyone reacted in a timely manner and we were able to save my leg, if that’s what you want to call it,” the quarterback said.
Had the nerves withered and died before surgeons could act, amputation was a real possibility for a then-23-year-old athlete in his prime. Reconstructive surgery saved Bridgewater’s leg.
With Bridgewater now just mere weeks away from possibly starting for the Vikings again, his teammates are in awe of his expedited recovery, especially receiver Jarius Wright.
In 2012, Wright witnessed Adrian Peterson incredibly returning from an ACL tear to have the best season of his career. Bridgewater's determination to recover and return to form reminded the wideout of what he saw from Peterson.
From TwinCities.com's Chris Tomasson:
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“It’s only one more person I saw that was more determined than (Bridgewater),” Wright said. “That might have been Adrian whenever he was coming back. Just to see how hard (Bridgewater has been) working, and I know he’s going to be great when he gets his opportunity, so we all witnessed a miracle.”
Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, and head coach Mike Zimmer echoed those sentiments:
“We have the same trust in him that we had before everything happened,” Thielen said. “In fact, we probably have a little more trust with just how tough he’s been through all this and how hard he’s worked. It’s pretty impressive.”
…
“I remember people saying that the quickest anyone had come back (from a similar injury) was 20 months, and to be five months ahead of that is pretty incredible,” Rudolph said. “I think it’s a testament to him, and it’s a testament to our trainers and doctors and everybody that’s worked with him to get him to this point.”
…
“He inspires me by the way he goes about his business and his work, the attitude he carries every single day,” Zimmer said. “We knew it was going to be a long process. For where he’s at right now is a testament to not only him, but his mom and the way he was brought up. I think he’s in a good place right now. He kind of sees the end game now.”
Bridgewater will be Case Keenum's backup on Sunday when the Vikings face the Washington Redskins, so he could see the field as early as Sunday if Keenum goes down. Even if Teddy remains on the bench for the duration of the season, he's been a great source of insight from the sidelines. More from Tomasson:
Keenum said Bridgewater has provided him with valuable advice throughout this season. He said during a September game against Tampa Bay, Bridgewater “saw something in the defense talking about a post throw,” and the Vikings had success with such a throw on the next drive.
At 6-2, the Vikings are in great position to win the NFC North and return to the postseason. With Bridgewater under center in 2015, Minnesota went 11-5 and won the division crown before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round, 10-9.
No matter where they finish this year, it's already been a wild success for their former franchise QB who might return to that pedestal in short order.
