The Minnesota Vikings are slated to square off against the New Orleans Saints in the preseason opener. It seems head coach Mike Zimmer is excited to see a familiar face in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Bridgewater and Zimmer share quite a history during their time in Minnesota. According to ESPN's Mike Triplett, he is looking forward to facing his former player.

“I am proud of him,” Zimmer said. “For him to be able to come back from the type of injury that he had and still be playing in the NFL, our statistics when the injury happened, it was a pretty bleak outlook for him. That’s the kind of kid he is. I actually talked to Sean Payton today and he said he’s the same guy, no restrictions, doing well. And Teddy is a competitor. He’s going to try to stick it to us just like we’re going to try to stick it to him.”

Zimmer's comments are certainly understandable. He began his first stint as a head coach in Minnesota alongside Bridgewater prior to the 2014 NFL season and became a firsthand witness to the trials and tribulations he endured to keep his NFL dream alive.

The 26-year-old had once been one of the most promising, young quarterbacks in the NFL for the Vikings before he was sidelined for two whole seasons with a devastating knee injury. Fortunately, Bridgewater has been able to bounce back after garnering some serious interest from the Saints.

Although his long-term future appears to still be up in the air, he will have ample opportunities to show what he is capable of in the preseason.