Many quarterbacks are just looking to escape the preseason without suffering an injury and hope to avoid contact. Teddy Bridgewater approached Thursday’s game with a different mentality.
Bridgewater is returning from a devastating knee injury suffered prior to the 2016 season and competing for the New York Jets’ starting quarterback job. He looked pretty good too, going 10-of-15 for 127 yards, a touchdown and an interception against Washington. He also rushed once for four yards.
Bridgewater said after the game that he wanted to get hit to challenge himself.
More Teddy Bridgewater (@teddyb_h2o): "I could have thrown the ball away or run out of bounds, but I wanted to challenge myself & see if I could take a hit. It was fun. Get up, smile, tell the guys, 'Hey, that was nothing. Next play.'"
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) August 17, 2018
Teddy Bridgewater (@teddyb_h2o): "I just wanted to get hit. I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do or say as a QB, but for me, it’s just continuing to knock down that mental block."
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) August 17, 2018
His mentality actually makes sense. Bridgewater needs to prove to himself that he can compete at the NFL level and that he is ready to take the physical pounding after missing so much time. He looked great on Thursday and was very accurate with his passes.
If the Jets aren’t planning to keep him, they will probably find a few takers on the trade market.
