Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater recently stated that he grew a lot as a leader during the 2015 NFL season and is preparing for 2016.
The 2015 was the first full season that Teddy Bridgewater was the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. However, he did see significant playing time in 2014 due to an injury to veteran passer Matt Cassel. Now, with Bridgewater set to enter his third season in 2016, he can look back at what he has learned to this point.
As with most young players, adjusting to the NFL game and growing as a player takes a while, but it is even harder as a quarterback. You’re put on center stage for everyone to critique and analyze, and any mistakes made turn into fuel for the doubters. However, Teddy Bridgewater is one of those rare players who makes everything a learning experience. But there are some things that you can’t learn from watching tape or studying a playbook.
Recently, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback visited NBCSN to talk about his leadership role with the team. Here is the video from Pro Football Talk’s website:
It is interesting to hear Bridgewater say that his Minnesota Vikings teammates gravitate toward his personality. Coming out of college, one of the knocks on him was that analysts were afraid he would struggle to control a huddle and get his teammates’ respect. While he may still be a bit of the quiet type, the other members of the team know that when he speaks, they should listen.
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The major topic that Bridgewater kept pounding home is that he wants to win. He stated that there are no moral victories and that the Minnesota Vikings should win close games like the one in Arizona this season. Bridgewater has made it no secret that he has one major goal as a professional football player, and that is to reach a Super Bowl and come out victorious.
There are still areas where Teddy Bridgewater needs to improve. It has already been said that his throwing motion will be a priority to adjust this offseason, but it also expected that he will continue to get stronger and work on his deep ball.
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Despite his weaknesses, Bridgewater offers hope to Minnesota Vikings fans who have survived through some horrible seasons with quarterbacks who should never have been starting for the team. With an NFC North championship under their belt and a playoff berth in 2015, expectations will be high for the Vikings and Bridgewater. It will be interesting to see how that kind of pressure will be handled.