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A year ago Wednesday, Teddy Bridgewater collapsed on the grass practice field at Winter Park, lying on his back with a left knee so mangled that it ended his season, potentially this one too, and threatened the career of a 23-year-old rising star who carried hopes of ending the Vikings’ Super Bowl drought.
It was a day that immediately altered general manager Rick Spielman’s vision, which had finally neared fruition behind a tenacious defense, a future Hall of Fame running back and an improving young quarterback who had nearly led the Vikings to their first playoff win since Brett Favre was under center seven years earlier.
Now, a year later, so much has changed. The defense remains stout, though disturbingly vulnerable at times last season. The future Hall of Fame running back is gone, playing now in New Orleans. And the young quarterback is rehabbing as best he can, throwing passes at team activities but still listed officially as physically unable to perform.
http://www.twincities.com/2017/08/25/bra...ntil-2019/
With Bradford in the last season of a two-year, $36 million contract, and the team declining to pick up Bridgewater’s $12.198 million option for 2018, Spielman hasn’t decided which quarterback he’ll choose.
“It’ll play itself out, I’m sure,” Spielman said last month. He didn’t respond to interview requests for this story.
Already, though, there have been indications that the NFL Players Association or Management Council could debate that ruling and argue that Bridgewater would need to be on the PUP list for an entire season to have his contract tolled.
“We know the rule very well,” Spielman said in a Pro Football Talk radio interview in May. “We’ve talked to the Management Council, we understand everything that’s involved with it, but again it’s something from a contractual standpoint that I’d rather not comment on. But there are specific rules there, and we’re quite aware of what the rules are.”
“Now is not the time to make a decision,” said Bill Polian, the former Indianapolis Colts GM and current ESPN analyst. “Rick doesn’t have to worry about that yet. … The issue now is whether (Bridgewater) starts on the PUP list.”
“It’s unfortunate, but this is a business,” said former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, whose career was ended by a horrific leg injury. “You don’t know what Teddy is going to be like. He might miss two years of football coming off only two NFL seasons. The growth that he conceivably would have had is not there.”
But since being selected by the St. Louis Rams with the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, Bradford has a career record of 32-45-1 as a starter, prompting concerns about whether he is the guy to lift the Vikings into Super Bowl contention.
“That wouldn’t give me any pause,” Polian said. “He went to a (Rams) team that was basically devoid of talent. That’s why they had the No. 1 pick. His record is what it is. … What did he do last year in the worst possible situation for a quarterback? He did tremendously well. So why would you worry about his performances anywhere else?”
“Last year, we were all very optimistic about Teddy,” backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke said. “Unfortunately the injury had to happen.”
Now the Vikings are left to see whether Bridgewater opens this season on the PUP list, which would open the possibility of him returning next season on an affordable contract.
But for now, answers to which of the two is the quarterback of the future are put on hold.
“You can’t make emotional decisions in this business or it will cost you a lot of money,” Theismann said. “Teddy is a great kid, and I’m rooting like heck for him. But until he’s out on the field and proving that he can play at the level he needs to, what do you do?”
Really good story. I guess we'll find out. Here's what I know: Bradford is a better passer and has a higher upside than what Teddy has, at least that's my opinion. And I love Teddy and so does the organization. But you can tell ever since Bradford came over in the trade, they saw the arm talent. It gave the team buzz, because they were down about Teddy's injury. But once they saw him throw, I think they saw what a high-end QB could look like. Teddy has great intangibles, but from a physical perspective and as a passer, he's mediocre. Average. The team just wants to see it one more year from Bradford....if he can play anywhere close to last season, I cannot see them doing anything other than trading Teddy and signing Bradford long-term.
What's easy to forget because Bradford has played on some shitty teams and Bill Polian agrees with that, Bradford was considered one of the better NFL QB prospects in years when he came out. He played on a talented Oklahoma college team and the dude could have played basketball or golf easily for his collegiate teams. Supreme athlete although he's got a slight build.
The good news for now is that it appears the Vikings have time. That is unless something really funky happens on the tolling. First 6 weeks of season will be very interesting for so many reasons.
Sam Bradford is really good when he's on the field. The media narrative on him is pretty negative but I've always liked his game. If he can stay healthy this year I think he'll get paid big to stay in MN.
But I've been wrong before so we shall see. Agreed it's going to be very interesting (at a position you'd much rather have stability at than "interesting")...
Tiiiiiime, is on our side.
For once.
MMQB on SI.com had a story this morning about their sources say the Vikings will definitely go with Bradford over Bridgewater if he plays well this season.
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