The Minnesota Vikings didn’t want to throw their rookie quarterback into the fire during his first year, but Teddy Bridgewater has handled the job well. While many fans were skeptical, there was another man much closer to the team’s heart that had some concerns about starting Bridgewater. The most notable was first year Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.
In a recent article by TwinCities.com’s Pioneer Press, there were a couple really interesting quotes from Mike Zimmer about Bridgewater starting as a rookie. Here are the most notable:
"“You think back on some of the quarterbacks that have had to play as rookies, or been playing as rookies and got the heck beat out of them, and they haven’t made it,” Zimmer said."
Mike Zimmer has some good reasons to be nervous. Not ever rookie quarterback is anywhere near ready to take on the role of a team’s starting quarterback. For many, the pressure to play well and learn the nuances of schemes is too much and they end up folding under the pressure. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Bridgewater.
"Nov 30, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Panthers 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports“I know this guy’s got a chance to be the guy for a long, long time here, and what I was nervous about at the beginning of the year was I didn’t want to get him beat up,” Zimmer said. “I didn’t want to get him gun-shy; I didn’t want to get him a bunch of bad outings where he didn’t have the confidence and that attitude that he was going to do the things that he’s doing.”"
Bridgewater has exceeded the expectations of many folks. He’s had three games with 300 or more yards passing and has completed more than 70% of his passes in three games. He’s shown the ability to learn from his mistakes and become a better player every week. And that’s the mark of a quarterback with a bright future.
Although the Vikings may not have been ready for Bridgewater to take over the reigns, Teddy seems comfortable with the role in Minnesota. Hopefully, it’s a job that he can handle for many years to come.
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