Teddy Bridgewater appears to still have a long way to go in his recovery from a devastating knee injury, but that does not mean the Minnesota Vikings have ruled out the possibility of the quarterback playing in 2017.
According to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, Bridgewater is nowhere close to being cleared for full contact, but it was a very encouraging sign that he was dropping back and throwing passes during organized team activities. While Vensel says it would be “astonishing” if Bridgewater were able to return at some point during the 2017 season, the reporter says the Vikings are still not placing any timetable on the 24-year-old’s recovery.
Minnesota chose not to pick up the fifth-year option on Bridgewater’s rookie deal, so he is set to become a free agent after the season. Since the option would have been guaranteed for injury, there’s no way the Vikings could justify picking it up given Bridgewater’s current status.
Bridgewater suffered a gruesome knee injury in training camp last August, so it’s encouraging that he is already throwing downfield passes less than a year later. However, it appears he is heading toward beginning the season on the physically unable to perform list, which would rule him out for at least six weeks and potentially create some drama with his contract situation.
Because he is still so young, the Vikings have no reason to give up on Bridgewater. They’re content playing it by ear while he is in the final year of his rookie deal.
