The former franchise savior of the Minnesota Vikings was traded to a NFC rival as the New Orleans Saints acquired Teddy Bridgewater on Wednesday.
The career of Teddy Bridgewater has had many twists and turns. The former Louisville quarterback has gone from the high of being the future franchise quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings to the rock bottom feeling of suffering a devastating knee injury that not only threatened his career, but almost took his leg.
Throughout the highs and the lows, Bridgewater climbed his latest mountain after nearly two years of rehabilitation and on Wednesday afternoon, his career took another turn as he was traded from the New York Jets to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a third-round pick.
Bridgewater’s journey from franchise quarterback to reclamation project saw another successful chapter this August. After the Vikings decided to go in a different direction over long-term concerns about the condition of the quarterback’s knee, he opted to sign a one-year deal with the New York Jets.
Minnesota Vikings
Although he faced an uphill battle to claim a starting job, Bridgewater flashed the potential that made Vikings general manager Rick Spielman trade up and select him with the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
In three games with the Jets this preseason, Bridgewater completed 28 of 38 passes for 316 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception with a 104.7 quarterback rating.
With New York already having Josh McCown and the third overall pick of the 2018 draft, Sam Darnold, on the roster, Bridgewater was expendable and the team cashed in at the right opportunity.
The Saints could be a tremendous landing spot for Bridgewater as he can use another season of recovery for his knee while learning behind one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, Drew Brees.
New Orleans also has plenty of young weapons including Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara that represent a major upgrade from the last time Bridgewater was a starter prior to the 2016 season.
Such a development has to put Vikings fans on pins and needles wondering if they made the right decision to let the young quarterback go this year. After sinking $84 million (fully guaranteed, of course) into Kirk Cousins this offseason, it will be interesting to see if Spielman and the rest of Minnesota’s front office made the right move by letting Bridgewater walk.
If the Bridgewater reclamation project is a success with the Saints and Cousins doesn’t live up to his expectations, it could be another haunting move for a franchise that has already seen its fair share of them.