Veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater visited Tampa on Tuesday and signed with the Buccaneers.

The 32-year-old quarterback last suited up for the Detroit Lions in December 2024, coming out of retirement to serve as Jared Goff’s backup. Bridgewater did not appear in a regular-season game. In the playoffs, he completed his only pass attempt for 3 yards in a 45-31 loss against the Washington Commanders in the divisional round.

For the Buccaneers, Bridgewater would help shore up the quarterback room, with Michael Pratt dealing with a back injury. Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield also just returned to practice Tuesday after missing multiple days last week with a contusion in his right throwing hand, leaving the Buccaneers with just two quarterbacks at that time.

Bridgewater played for six NFL teams from 2014 to 2024, compiling a 33-32 record with 15,120 passing yards and 75 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl after an 11-5 season with the Minnesota Vikings. He retired after a decade in the league and went on to coach his high school alma mater, Miami Northwestern, to the Class 3A Florida High School Athletic Association state title in 2024.

Bridgewater has multiple connections to the Buccaneers. He was the starting quarterback for new Buccaneers defensive line coach Charlie Strong when Strong was the head coach at Louisville. He was also with new Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard when they were with the Dolphins in 2022, when Grizzard served as the offensive quality control coach. He was also teammates with longtime Buccaneers team captain Lavonte David at Miami Northwestern.

Last month, Bridgewater was suspended from his position as the high school’s coach for allegedly providing impermissible benefits to his players. He said in a social media post that he self-reported paying for Uber rides, meals and recovery services for his players last season.

“Oh man, it’s just crazy, man,” David said of Bridgewater’s suspension last month. “Just knowing the type of person Teddy is, man. If you know Teddy and you meet him – that’s just who he is. He’s just doing it straight out of love. But that’s because he is. Even when he was in the league, he was still giving back to the team. He just continued it. It just so happened that he be the head coach. He gives a lot back to youth football and football in the Miami area. It’s unfortunate that he’s going through it, but I think he’ll be fine, man.”

Miami Northwestern High School football coach Teddy Bridgewater has been suspended for providing players with impermissible benefits, he revealed in a social media post. Bridgewater, who officially retired from the NFL in February 2024, coached Miami Northwestern to a state championship in his first season last year.

“Damn people done caused all this confusion. Got a phone call tonight and it’s no real investigation going on,” Bridgewater wrote on Facebook. “I told you I have to be an employee to be investigated. Now the paperwork thing still stands but there was no investigation… We SELF REPORTED.”

Bridgewater led Miami Northwestern to a Class 3A championship in his first season as the coach in 2024.

The suspension appears to be linked to a July 7 social post in which Bridgewater acknowledged covering transportation, meals and recovery-related costs for his players during the 2024 season. In that same message, he encouraged supporters to contribute financially this year so those expenses wouldn’t fall solely on him.

The Florida High School Athletic Association confirmed to Rivals on Monday that it is gathering more information.

Bridgewater rose from a local standout in Miami to a first-round NFL Draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings after a stellar college career at Louisville. His professional journey took a turn after a major knee injury in 2016, but he battled back to start for the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. He later had stints with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions.

After serving as a backup in Detroit in 2023, the 32-year-old stepped away from playing to begin his coaching career. He briefly unretired and re-signed with the Lions in December 2024.

Bridgewater compiled a 33-32 record with 15,120 passing yards and 75 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl after an 11-5 season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is reportedly planning to come out of retirement and will sign with the Detroit Lions. Bridgewater retired from the NFL in 2023 and most recently led Miami Northwestern High School, his alma mater, to a state championship as head coach.

The motivation behind Bridgewater’s desire to return to the NFL is still unclear, but joining the Lions places him in a potentially important position for a Super Bowl contender. Bridgewater would likely serve as one of two backup quarterbacks for Jared Goff on the team’s playoff roster, joining second-year passer Hendon Hooker.

Bridgewater reportedly has a good relationship with Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who worked as an assistant coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020. The journeyman passer played there in 2018 and 2019. Bridgewater’s last stint before retiring was with Campbell and the Lions in 2023.

Based on his reputation, Bridgewater figures as a shrewd addition for the Lions. The veteran passer is known as an excellent locker room presence and teammate, especially for his fellow quarterbacks. As of 2022, he also proved capable of starting and holding his own at the professional level. In five appearances and two starts for the Miami Dolphins that year, he threw for 683 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions, earning an 85.6 quarterback rating. His last extended stint as a starter came in 2021, when he threw for 3,000 yards as a member of the Denver Broncos.

Based on Campbell’s eagerness to work with Bridgewater at the tail end of his career, it doesn’t feel preposterous to suspect that the quarterback could soon land a coaching role for the Lions after his second retirement. Bridgewater’s interest in coaching at a local level, combined with his locker room behavior and the Lions’ persistent interest, could make him a viable candidate in some capacity in the near future.

In the meantime, Bridgewater must do what he can to assist a white-hot Lions offense looking to overcome a slew of injuries on defense. The team’s prospects as a Super Bowl favorite have dwindled somewhat in recent weeks, but with Goff piloting an explosive passing game and rushing attack, the team still has a strong puncher’s chance. If Goff goes down, however, it may come down to Bridgewater or Hooker to pick up the pieces and keep the team’s championship hopes alive. It would be a big step up from high school ball.  

The Detroit Lions signed free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater Monday, reuniting the journeyman backup with head coach Dan Campbell. The two worked together as members of the New Orleans Saints when Bridgewater was there from 2018 to 2019.

Though Bridgewater isn’t expected to compete with quarterback Jared Goff for the starting job but could very well become the team’s backup ahead of veteran Nate Sudfeld. Now in his third year as Detroit’s head coach, Campbell is looking to ensure that the team continues moving forward after two steadily improving seasons.

“We’re Year 3 and I think we’re in a much better position, and you want to know that you are in the best hands possible. I’ll leave it at that, but that’s also – it’s the competition,” Campbell told reporters on July 25, shortly after Bridgewater’s first visit. “It doesn’t mean that Nate’s out of anything if we go this route if it works out. You’ll feel good about whoever comes out of the fire is going to be the right guy to help you along the way, but yeah, you don’t want the wheels to fall off.”

Since entering the NFL in 2014, Bridgewater has played under center for five different franchises, mostly in emergency situations. His early career with the Minnesota Vikings was derailed by injuries, but as a journeyman, he filled in for the Saints in 2018 and 2019 before playing nearly full seasons for the Panthers and Broncos. He most recently played for the Miami Dolphins, replacing Tua Tagovailoa after the young star suffered a litany of head injuries during the 2023 season.

In nine NFL seasons, two of which were almost completely spent on the injured list in Minnesota, Bridgewater has played in 78 games, amassing 15,120 passing yards and 75 touchdowns through the air. He maintains a 90.5 passer rating over the course of his career.

The Lions entered Week 18 last year with a chance to make the postseason. Though they were unsuccessful, their performance was far removed from their notoriously mediocre reputation. Under Campbell’s leadership, the team has loaded up on young talent and could be poised to make an even more determined playoff run in 2023.

Denver Broncos‘ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a scary hit in yesterday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had to be carted off the field. The Broncos went on to lose the game 15-10, resulting in a 7-7 record and diminishing their hopes of earning a wildcard spot.

The hit came with around five minutes left in the third quarter. Bridgewater was running and dove, but as he was trying to extend the ball, he was shoved from behind and landed on his neck, shoulder and head. The hit left him laying on the field motionless. Team doctors had to use a backboard as they carted him off the field. During the broadcast, it was announced that Bridgewater was able to move his extremities.

“QB Teddy Bridgewater will stay at the hospital overnight for further evaluation, but so far everything has checked out well, per Coach (Vic) Fangio,” the Broncos’ official Twitter account said.

Drew Lock came in to replace Bridgewater.

Bridgewater is no stranger to serious injuries. He suffered a bad knee injury during practice in 2016, that ended up not only threatening his career but how he would live his life. His surgeon thought they may have to amputate his leg, but Bridgewater was able to fight through the injury and recover and eventually make an NFL comeback.

“When you see a guy like Teddy go down, that hurts, man,” said Broncos safety, Justin Simmons. “We know what Teddy puts into it, he’s such a big voice in our locker room, it hurts, obviously, from a football standpoint, it hurts as a leader, but just as a friend, a guy that invests into you so much, it hurts to see.”

The hit was frighteningly reminiscent of a similar head injury to the Los Angeles Chargers tight end, Donald Parham Jr. on Thursday night football.

The Carolina Panthers continue their rebuild since releasing former star Cam Newton in 2020. Not only that, but the team allowed wide receiver Curtis Samuel to leave in free agency.

The Panthers will have a new starting quarterback this season. Last year, Teddy Bridgewater was the starter but was traded to the Denver Broncos in the offseason. The team traded Bridgewater after acquiring Sam Darnold from the New York Jets via trade. Carolina also has Phillip Walker, who will most likely be the backup to Darnold. Darnold will be looking for a career revival in Carolina after three seasons of sub-par performances in New York.

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Carolina Panthers Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 vs New York Jets
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 vs New Orleans Saints
• Week 3: Thu 09/23 at Houston Texans
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs Dallas Cowboys
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 vs Minnesota Vikings
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 at New York Giants
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 at Atlanta Falcons
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 vs New England Patriots
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Arizona Cardinals
• Week 11: Thu 11/18 vs Washington Football Team
• Week 12: Sun 11/28 at Miami Dolphins
• Week 13: BYE
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 vs Atlanta Falcons
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 at Buffalo Bills
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC South: The Panthers currently do not stand a chance to win the division. They have the most electrifying player in the league in Christian McCaffrey, but they play in the same division as the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Bucs are the favorites and the Saints are still a good team despite Brees’ retirement. Carolina may be better than Atlanta, but they still aren’t quite good enough to compete with the Saints or Buccaneers. The reunion of Darnold and Robby Anderson should be interesting to watch, but the Panthers still leave much to be desired on both sides of the ball.

Matchups: The Panthers begin the season with two of three very winnable matchups. They start the season hosting the Jets, which will be a great opportunity for Darnold to face his former team and his replacement, rookie Zach Wilson. The Panthers’ toughest stretch of games will be their last four games of the season when they must face the Buccaneers twice, the Bills and the Saints.

Overall: Carolina is continuing to rebuild and is hoping that Darnold is the right quarterback for the franchise. The team is not expected to make the playoffs, but anything is possible.

Prediction: The Panthers will finish with a 7-10 record in Darnold’s first season with the Panthers.

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The Broncos are currently assessing their starting quarterback situation. Third-year quarterback Drew Lock and veteran Teddy Bridgewater will battle it out for the starting job. Last season, Lock was the starting quarterback for the team. Bridgewater was acquired by the team in an offseason trade and will bring experience to the team.

To make matters a bit more complicated, there has been rumors of a potential blockbuster trade for Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers requested a trade from the Packers after a fallout with the organization. Denver was one of the favorite teams to land Rodgers because of their salary cap space and position. If the Packers are willing to trade their disgruntled star, Denver has the best chance to land the MVP quarterback. With Rodgers on the team to lead the young Denver team, there is a good possibility that they can make the playoffs either this coming season or in 2022.

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Denver Broncos Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 at New York Giants
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 at Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 vs New York Jets
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs Baltimore Ravens
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 vs Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 7: Thu 10/21 at Cleveland Browns
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 vs Washington Football Team
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 at Dallas Cowboys
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 11: BYE
• Week 12: Sun 11/28 vs Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 13:Sun 12/05 at Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 vs Detroit Lions
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 vs Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 at Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 vs Kansas City Chiefs

AFC West: Denver will not fare well in the division this season. The team is currently still rebuilding so do not expect them to win the division. The Broncos have a chance to finish second in the division, but it will be a difficult task. They were the worst team in the division last season. Last season, the Broncos lost all their matchups with the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers. That cannot happen again if they want to compete in the top-heavy AFC West.

Matchups: The Broncos start the season with three winnable games. They will face three fellow rebuilding teams before facing three playoff teams in their next five games. From weeks 8-12, the team gets a break from difficult teams with beatable teams. The ending stretch for the Broncos provides a challenge, with their last game being against none other than the Kansas City Chiefs.

Overall: The Broncos are still going through a rebuild and don’t even know who will start at the quarterback position. If Denver is able to acquire Rodgers, they would have a great chance at postseason success. However, as of now, things aren’t looking great for the Broncos. This season will be an uphill battle.

Prediction: Denver will finish 6-11, last in the division.

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The Carolina Panthers sent veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

“Acquiring Teddy Bridgewater adds competition, experience and a strong veteran presence to our quarterback room,” Broncos general manager George Paton said in a statement.

The Panthers will pay the 28-year-old quarterback $7 million in 2021 while the Broncos will pay him $3 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Panthers are trading QB Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick, as Tom Pelissero reported. Panthers paying Bridgewater $7 million, Broncos paying him $3 million, per source. Trade does not take Denver out of QB market Thursday night, per source,” read Schefter’s tweet.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carolina reportedly gave Bridgewater the “okay” to facilitate a trade after the team acquired Sam Darnold from the Jets at the beginning of April. The Panthers sent a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, plus a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2022 for Darnold.

Prior to the 2020 season, the Panthers signed Bridgewater to a three-year contract worth $63 million. Bridgewater was reportedly guaranteed $40 million over the first two seasons of the deal. However, Wednesday’s trade eliminates the final year and $21 million of his contract in 2022, according to 9News Denver’s Mike Klis.

In 2020, Bridgewater started 15 games for the Panthers. He finished the season with 3,733 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Panthers went 4-11 in games that he started.

There’s still no evidence Tom Brady will return to New England when NFL free agency begins March 18 and the Patriots must be prepared for life without him if he ultimately decides to sign with another team. Here’s some possible replacements that New England could sign in free agency or acquire via trade:

Andy Dalton:

Dalton will reportedly work with the Bengals on a trade that will land him at a destination that he prefers, and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapaport reported that he will be considered as a replacement for Brady if the Patriots’ are unable to resign the six-time Super Bowl Champion.

Dalton is a starting caliber quarterback who has nine years of experience in the AFC and can definitely benefit from the leadership and coaching savvy of Bill Belichick. Nonetheless, he has a career completion percentage of 62.6, and last year completed just 59.5% of his passes, third worst in the league. Yes, he can be a serviceable but it’s hard to replace a quarterback who is widely considered one of the greatest of all time with Dalton who is coming off the most dreadful year of his career. In 13 starts in the 2019 season, Dalton threw for 3,494 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a career-low 78.3 passer rating. Although the “Red Rifle” may be available, he shouldn’t be the first choice on New England’s wish list.

Teddy Bridgewater:

Most recently Bridgewater played valuable snaps for the Saints in the regular season to fill in for an injured Drew Brees and impressed critics with his accurate throwing ability and his intelligent decision making when faced with pressure in the pocket. In six starts for New Orleans, Bridgewater went 5-1 and compiled 1,384 passing yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions with a passer rating of 99.1 and a completion rate of 67.9%. At 27 years old, Bridgewater is the perfect quarterback for Belichick to mold into the Patriots’ system because of his longevity. Available as a free agent, Bridgewater has the opportunity to become New England’s quarterback of the future with a reasonable price tag.

Philip Rivers:

Rivers is 38 years old and coming off one of the toughest years of his career that saw the Chargers finish last with a 5-11 record. He was able to throw for over 4,000 yards for his seventh straight season but had the worst interception to touchdown ratio of his career (1.15) finishing with 23 TD passes and 20 interceptions. To Rivers’ defense, a league-leading seven of those came while his team was trailing with five minutes left in the game, according to ESPN. New England, however, can provide a better offensive line and a top defense to prevent Rivers from constantly having to play from behind. He is also one of the best in the league at adjusting protection and is highly praised for his scrupulous game preparation. If Rivers does end up in New England, it’s fair to say that Belichick will be the best head coach he’s ever played for and the Patriots will remain Super Bowl contenders.

Derek Carr:

Carr is coming off one his best seasons as a Raider and actually outperformed Brady when considering his career-high passer rating (100.8) and career-high completion percentage (70.4) that ranked second in the NFL behind Brees. Brady had his worst passer rating (88.0) since 2013 and actually completed a lesser percentage of throws (60.8) by a large margin. You could also argue that the 29-year-old had a worse supporting cast than Brady besides the running back position occupied by rookie sensation Josh Jacobs. If he gets paired with Belichick and an elite defense via trade, there’s no doubt New England would be favorites to win the AFC East for years to come.

The New Orleans Saints pulled away with an impressive 36-25 road win against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The Saints played their fifth game without Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees. They are 5-0 in those contests, as backup Teddy Bridgewater has admirably held the fort in Brees’ absence. For Sunday’s game against the Bears, the Saints proved they could handle a bit more than just Brees’ absence.

New Orleans also without star running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Jared Cook and two promising young players in wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith and defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Without three of their most important offensive pieces and going against one of the NFL’s top defenses on the road, the Saints accumulated their highest single-game point total of the 2019 season.

With the help of an offense that kept the ball for a total of 38 minutes and 47 seconds, the Saints kept control of the game to bleed out a win against Chicago. With Brees set to return for next week’s game, the Saints are in prime position to continue this hot streak.

Chicago QB Mitch Trubisky has continued to regress in his third season, as he has looked lost on the field and the offense behind him has struggled mightily. Additionally, the defense is no longer forcing takeaways to give the Bears more opportunities.

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While last year, the Bears offense and defense were great and the special teams needed improvement, the exact opposite has been the case this year. Kicker Eddy Pineiro has been the cure to what ailed the Bears last year. Thus far, Pineiro has a 9-10 record on field goals and 11-11 on extra points. Kicking has been the only constant for Chicago this season.

“I feel good where I’m at,” Pineiro said. “I am hitting the ball well and just good snaps, good holds, yeah.”

The 3-3 Bears will host the 2-5 Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 27. The 6-1 Saints will go back home to greet the 3-3-1 Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 27.

A little less than a year removed from suffering a horrific knee injury, beloved Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater ran drills with his team during the fifth day of OTAs. While a full return to the field is still far off in the future, Wednesday’s practice is a good sign for Bridgewater’s continuing rehabilitation.

Bridgewater worked on his drop-back while tied to a resistance band held by one of the team’s trainers, threw to receivers, and participated in other team drills with several Viking’s quarterbacks on Wednesday. He threw roughly 20 passes.

While it wasn’t Bridgewater’s first time throwing since his injury, it was his first time performing on-field drills in front of reporters.

The quarterback was in high spirits, joking with the press about teammate Latavius Murray’s slow recovery from his leg injury, according to the Minnesota Star-Tribune.

Coaches and teammates alike were happy to have their boyish and earnest leader back on the field.

“When you’ve seen a guy working his rear end off, it makes you proud for him for the work that he’s put in,” head coach Mike Zimmer told the Star-Tribune. “He’s progressing as well as anybody could have expected, I think.”

Bridgewater injured his left knee during an August practice last summer. The non-contact injury turned out to be a complete tear of his ACL, including severe damage to multiple ligaments through out his knee. While it was initially believed that he would miss the entirety of the 2017 season, that timetable is looking less and less likely.

In his absence, the Vikings traded for quarterback Sam Bradford, who spurred the team to a quick 5-0 record to start the 2016 season. The team went on to lose their next four games, finishing the year with a mediocre 8-8 record.

Bridgewater, who was drafted by the Vikings with the last pick of the first round in the 2014 NFL Draft, played his first full season in 2015, throwing for 3,231 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also lead his team to the playoffs that year, although they lost in the first round to the Seahawks, who were, at the time, the reigning conference champions.

The Minnesota Vikings announced on Monday two major decisions regarding their roster: they will exercise linebacker Anthony Barr’s fifth-year option, but won’t do the same for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s option.

Vikings Exercise Anthony’s Fifth-Year Option, Decline Teddy Bridgewater’s

Barr, the ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft, would thus remain in Minnesota for the 2018 season at an amount of $12.3 million.

Bridgewater, meanwhile, continues to recover from a torn ACL and dislocated left knee he suffered last preseason, so the Vikings’ decision regarding him is not very surprising.

The option on the 24-year-old quarterback’s contract would also have been worth more than $12 million.

Coach Mike Zimmer has stated he hopes Bridgewater continues playing in Minnesota, although Zimmer added there is no plan for the Vikings at quarterback except Sam Bradford — who has one year remaining on his contract — until the team knows more regarding Bridgewater’s future.

“It’s when he gets healthy, we’ll worry about it,” Zimmer said at the NFL owners meetings on March 29. “We don’t know when it’s going to be. If he comes in tomorrow and is 100 percent, which he won’t, but if he did, then we’d have to adjust things. But right now we don’t know when he’s going to be ready.”

According to “Around the NFL” writer Kevin Patra, Bridgewater is likely to begin the final season of his rookie contract on the physically unable to perform list. If he doesn’t come off the PUP list for all of next season, the quarterback’s contract would toll and add another season in Minnesota, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. 

Barr played his second Pro Bowl last season, but this came after an unproductive season during which the UCLA alum only recorded two sacks and two fumbles (one forced, one recovered). The linebacker’s best season came in 2015, when he interrupted seven passes, intercepted one, forced three fumbles and logged three sacks in 14 games.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 10: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Minnesota Vikings drops back in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at TCFBank Stadium on January 10, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Teddy Bridgewater, a Minnesota Vikings quarterback, suffered a dislocated knee and torn ACL at practice on Tuesday, the team announced in a statement.

Teddy Bridgewater Releases Statement After Suffering Dislocated Knee, Torn ACL

“After undergoing an MRI, it was determined that Teddy suffered a complete tear to his ACL and other structural damage,” the statement read. “Fortunately, there appears to be no nerve or arterial damage. Surgical repair will be scheduled within the next few days.

“Although the recovery time will be significant, we expect Teddy to make a full recovery. I would like to thank all of the medical professionals and our athletic training staff for all of their help today. Teddy has already displayed the attitude needed to overcome this injury and attack his rehab.”

The injury announcement was made roughly two hours after Bridgewater went down with a non-contact injury that ended the session after just 30 minutes.

The quarterback himself also released a statement, in which he expressed his gratitude to the Vikings organization, as well as his determination to fight his injury and make a strong return. The statement, released early Thursday, read:

“I want to thank the Wilf Family and the entire Vikings organization, all of my teammates, friends, Eric Sugarman and the amazing Vikings athletic training staff and the fans who have sent me messages and wished me well. Your thoughts and prayers mean a lot to me and have helped me in this difficult time. There are great players and great leaders in our locker room who are going to fight to the end to reach the goals we set for 2016. I will be there mentally, physically and in spirit to support them accomplish those goals.”

Bridgewater continued: “In order to have a testimony, you have to have a test. I come from amazing DNA, I watched my mom fight and win against breast cancer. We will, as a team, attack my rehab with the same vigor and energy. My faith is strong, my faith is unwavering and my vision is clear. My purpose will not be denied.”

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer stated the 23-year-old QB had to be sedated before undergoing an MRI at the hospital.

When asked if there was a chance Bridgewater could play this season, Zimmer responded, “It doesn’t look good right now.”

“We’re not going to stick our heads in the sand, tuck our tail between our legs,” Zimmer said about the bind Bridgewater’s injury could put the team in. “We’re not going to make excuses.

“Everybody can count us out but I think that’d be the wrong thing to do.”

Per the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Bridgewater was clutching his left knee at practice as teammates prayed around him.

Bridgewater was carried off the field in an ambulance to the hospital as his team feared the worst.

The QB only threw 14 touchdowns last season, although he led a run-first offense that helped Minnesota win the NFC North division and come within a missed field goal of defeating the Seahawks in the playoffs. Over his first two seasons, he passed for more yards than any quarterback in Vikings history over the same time frame. He also has the highest completion percentage (64.9) of any quarterback over his first two seasons in NFL history.

His 3,231 passing yards earned him a Pro Bowl bid and pushed the 2014 first-round pick into his third season.

This preseason, Bridgewater was 18 of 23 (78.3 percent) with 253, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Shaun Hill and Joel Stave are the team’s other quarterbacks.

Hill, 34, is 16-18 as a starter in his career.

“I have confidence in Shaun,” Zimmer said. “I think he’s played great this preseason. He’s been in two-minute drills. He’s done a phenomenal job.”

This offseason, the Vikings spent another first-round pick on a wide receiver — Laquon Treadwell — in the hopes that his playmaking ability could match Bridgewater’s potential as a franchise quarterback.

On Wednesday, the team officially placed Bridgewater on injured reserve and re-signed quarterback Brad Sorensen, who was recently waived by the team.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 10: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Minnesota Vikings drops back in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at TCFBank Stadium on January 10, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Vikings may have felt some concern over Teddy Bridgewater’s sore shoulder, but the quarterback quickly ended those worries while also displaying some impressive footwork on Sunday.

Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater Fools Chargers’s Adrian Phillips With Juke Move

Bridgewater, who missed last week’s victory at Seattle, led his team to a 23-10 home preseason win over the San Diego Chargers. The 23-year-old 2014 first-round draft pick out of Louisville completed 12 of 16 attempts for 161 yards and one touchdown in the first half.

However, it was what Bridgewater did to Chargers safety Adrian Phillips that proved he can be just as lethal as a running quarterback. As Bridgewater approached Phillips, he stutter-stepped, then juked right to leave the 24-year-old safety stunned.

That’s the the type of move one would usually expect from veteran running back Adrian Peterson, not his QB.

Bridgewater picked up 22 yards on the third-down play to earn the first down, thus keeping the drive alive. The Vikings finished the drive with a field goal to push their lead to 6-0.

Bridgewater’s juke rating on the video game Madden increased immediately:

The Chargers, who lost free safety Eric Weddle this offseason following a protracted feud with their former star safety, have been using Phillips in place of starter Jahleel Addae. Cleary, Philips will need to defend better than he did Sunday in order to retain that starting spot.

The Vikings will next host the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday for their final preseason game before visiting the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 11 for their regular-season opener.

The Chargers will host the San Francisco 49ers Thursday for their last preseason game before visiting the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 11 for their regular-season opener.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 10: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Minnesota Vikings drops back in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at TCFBank Stadium on January 10, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

With the Super Bowl match-up set and players announcing their end of season injuries, the Pro Bowl rosters are set to undergo some changes. And while replacement players may be appearing based on a logistical technicality, it’s still good for some additional guys to get recognized for their performances. One of those players is Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who will be replacing Cardinals QB Carson Palmer.

Selected with the 32nd pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, Bridgewater hasn’t received the same level of attention as other young quarterbacks. But, in his first year as the full-time starter under center, he led the Vikings to a 11-5 record and NFC North title.

Bridgewater finished the season with a 65.3 completion percentage and  3,231 passing yards for 14 touchdowns. He also became second Vikings quarterback in franchise history to throw for four touchdowns and rush for one in a single game; he accomplished the feat against the Chicago Bears in December.

Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was also named to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins. Bridgewater and Barr will also be joined in Hawaii by their teammates Adrian Peterson, Everson Griffen and Harrison Smith.

Photo: Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater gives the ball to running back Jerick McKinnon during the match at Chicago Bears by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michel Sauret via Wikimedia Commons