RUMOR: Vikings expected to offer a ‘short-term’ contract to Bridgewater
By Adam Patrick
As the Minnesota Vikings attempt to figure out their quarterback situation for 2018, one rumor suggests the type of deal the team will offer Teddy Bridgewater this offseason.
In a little more than a month, the new NFL year will begin on March 14 and so will the 2018 free agency period. It’s possible the Minnesota Vikings may have figured out their quarterback situation for next season by then, but there’s also a good chance that will not be the case either.
If the Vikings intend to place the franchise or transition tag on any of their impending free-agents, the team will have from February 20 to March 6 to make that decision. If Minnesota was going to use either of these tags this year, most assume it would be for quarterback Case Keenum.
As something that will likely be the case for the next month, a rumor has recently come out regarding what the Vikings intend to do with Teddy Bridgewater this offseason.
Executives around the league expect the #Vikings to give QB Teddy Bridgewater a short term and incentive based “prove it” type deal this offseason. They have not come to a conclusion on what they’ll do with Case Keenum.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 11, 2018
There has been some talk about Minnesota possibly wanting Bridgewater’s contract to toll (carry over) into next season, but the scenario suggested in this recent rumor seems a bit more plausible.
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As many times as the young quarterback may say that he’s completely healthy, the Vikings have to be smart when offering him a contract due to the risk of possible re-injury to his surgically repaired knee. A short-term “prove it” deal seems like something that would be fair to both Minnesota and Bridgewater until the quarterback can assure the team that his knee is no longer to be worried about.
Back in November, Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald said he could see the Vikings giving Bridgewater a short-term contract this offseason worth, “between $6 million and $7 million a year plus incentives.” He also mentioned Minnesota probably will not fight to toll the quarterback’s current deal if it ends up looking like something that requires the NFLPA to get involved.
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Based on this recent rumor and what Fitzgerald said in November, it is sounding more and more like a small “prove it” contract is what the Vikings and Bridgewater will agree to this offseason.