Teddy Bridgewater's start to his NFL career came with a lot of highs and one concerning low. The rookie quarterback led the Minnesota Vikings to a win over the Atlanta Falcons, but getting carted off the field leads to some questions in the team's short week. Already depleted at the quarterback position following the season-ending injury to Matt Cassel, Bridgewater's health is something to keep an eye on.
Bridgewater appeared to suffer what is being diagnosed as an ankle injury at the moment after scrambling on a fourth-quarter play. X-rays came back negative in the locker room as the team notes it is a sprain and nothing more. He returned to the sidelines prior to the end of the game without wearing any type of cast, giving the team hope that he will be healthy when Minnesota plays Green Bay on Thursday night football.
"I assume he's going to play. I don't really know," head coach Mike Zimmer said, via ESPN.com. "Teddy is pretty dang tough. I did talk to him in the locker room after the game and he didn't give me any indication he wasn't. I didn't specifically ask him. That's something that's out of my hands right now. I'm going to spend as much time as I can with [athletic trainer] Eric Sugarman and the training staff they have here. That will be a decision they can make."
If Bridgewater is unable to play, Christian Ponder will get the start under center. The former first-round pick is now the third-string option after several failed seasons as the starter. This could be Ponder's only moment this season to try and earn looks for the future. After not picking up his fifth-year option, the quarterback is likely playing his last season in Minnesota and will be looking for a job sooner than he had hoped. Zimmer noted that if Ponder has to play then he has full confident that the quarterback can get things done.
"I'm going to write a book at the end of this season; which one of you guys wants to write it for me -- for all the things that have happened," Zimmer said. "I've been writing them down, these situations. It's nice to have Christian in there, a guy that's been to the playoffs and done a lot of things, but that's kind of what this team has been doing right now -- stepping up."
Bridgewater is confident he will be healthy to play, eager to follow up his strong first start. One thing the quarterback credited for his success is a motivational text message from running back Adrian Peterson who is currently facing charges of child abuse. The running back is no longer with the team as he handles this legal issue, but is still finding ways to impact the team. Both Bridgewater and running back Matt Asiata praised the veteran.
"The words that Adrian texted Coach Zimmer were very deep," Bridgewater said. "One thing I took away from that message was, play each down like it's your last, because you never know when it's going to be your last opportunity. I think the guys got that message pretty well."
