The Vikings should not pick up Bridgewater’s fifth-year contract option

A decision will have to be made soon by the Minnesota Vikings regarding the 2018 contract status of their young quarterback.

In terms of likability, there may not be another current member on the Minnesota Vikings’ roster that is more adored by his teammates than quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Despite missing the entire 2016 NFL season, Bridgewater has quickly established himself as one of the leaders inside the Vikings’ locker room.

Unfortunately life can be really unfair sometimes, as was the case last summer when the quarterback went down with a severe knee injury that has put his football future in jeopardy. His recovery process has reportedly been progressing in the right direction, but there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding his future since his specific injury is quite rare for the position that he plays.

Since Bridgewater was a first-round draft pick in 2014, Minnesota has the opportunity to pick up a contract option this offseason that would extend the quarterback’s current contract until the end of the 2018 season. The Vikings will also have to make the same decision for linebacker Anthony Barr, since he was drafted in the first-round in 2014 as well.

Minnesota has until May 3 to make up their mind on these two players.

Picking up Barr’s fifth-year option seems like a logical choice. But for Bridgewater, the Vikings may be better off declining to pick up the quarterback’s option.

Before anyone gets all crazy and starts slashing the throats of their stuffed animals, lets take a minute and just realize the risk Minnesota would be taking by picking up Bridgewater’s 2018 contract option.

First off, since the quarterback was selected with the number 32 pick, his salary in 2018 would be generated by finding the average amount that is paid to quarterbacks whose salary ranks from third to 25th in the position group. Right now, Bridgewater’s option would earn him around $10 million in base salary for 2018.

That is $10 million for a player who may not even play again or ever reach his full potential due to the severity of the injury he suffered. Now even if the Vikings do decide to pick up his option, they can decline it before the start of the new league year in 2018.

Minnesota Vikings

But $10 million still seems like a lot for a player who could possibly miss two full seasons before playing again.

So what should Minnesota do instead? Perhaps declining his option and signing him to a new, more team-friendly contract is a route that the Vikings should take?

A two or three-year extension worth around $5 or $6 million in 2018 with a contract option that would boost his salary above the $10 million mark in 2019 seems like a deal that would be more than reasonable for the situation that Bridgewater is currently in. Of course the Vikings would also have to make sure that an extension like this would be easy to get out of after one year depending on how Bridgewater is able to perform if he makes it back onto the football field.

It is obviously not a situation Minnesota wanted to be faced with. But figuring out what is best for the team as a whole is what always needs to remain an organization’s top priority.

Next: Vikings running back ready to breakout in 2017

In a perfect world, Bridgewater would return to the field by the 2018 season and help lead the Vikings to years of success. But as much as some may hate to admit it, Minnesota needs to prepare for the worst with their young quarterback and it starts with making a decision within the next few weeks regarding his fifth-year option.