Report: Vikings don’t want Teddy Bridgewater playing on London field

Teddy Bridgewater is getting closer to making his first appearance in an NFL regular season game since 2015, but concerns about the next surface the Minnesota Vikings have to play on could be one of the reasons the team is taking it slow with the quarterback.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Vikings have not entertained the idea of Bridgewater playing in Week 8 because their game is in London. The soccer stadiums overseas that host NFL games are known for having softer and more slippery field conditions, and Minnesota does not want to take any chances by having Bridgewater play on that.

Bridgewater just returned to practice last week and the Vikings have a bye in Week 9, so they probably would have held him out even if they were not playing in London. While the 24-year-old has been cleared by doctors, he still needs to get up to game speed. Case Keenum has also played well enough to help Minnesota win its last three games, so there’s no need to rush Bridgewater.

Assuming Bridgewater does not suffer any setbacks, there’s a good chance he will be ready to start for the Vikings in Week 10 or Week 11. Given the reports we have heard about Sam Bradford’s knee injury, Bridgewater may be ready to play first. If forced to choose between a healthy Bridgewater and a healthy Keenum, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer will almost certainly choose the former.