The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback passed up the opportunity to potentially be a starter next season to remain Drew Brees’ backup with the New Orleans Saints.
Heading into the 2016 season, the Minnesota Vikings were feeling good about their chances to contend for a championship.
The Vikings were coming off a year that ended with a heartbreaking playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks and everyone was looking to get that bitter taste out of their mouth. Minnesota also felt great about the progression of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was preparing for his third season with the team.
But before the Vikings could even step foot on the field for their Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, Bridgewater suffered a career-altering injury that knocked him out for the entire season. As a result, Minnesota ended up finishing the year with a disappointing 8-8 record that left them on the outside of the playoff picture.
Currently, Bridgewater is a member of the New Orleans Saints as the backup to Drew Brees. The former Vikings quarterback decided to re-sign with the Saints this year despite having the opportunity to potentially battle for a starting role with the Miami Dolphins.
Some thought Bridgewater would jump at any opportunity to be a starter in 2019, but he felt that returning to New Orleans was the better decision for him to make at this point in his career.
"“As a competitor, you want to be out there starting and competing. But I just sat back and I weighed my options and thought about what would be best for me.This is an opportunity for me to grow, continue to learn and expand my mental capacity as a football player.”"
Bridgewater likely took a glimpse into the future this offseason and saw himself running for his life more often than not as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback in 2019.
So when comparing his two options, remaining with a team that could win a Super Bowl next season seems like an easy choice to make. Plus, Bridgewater will also get to continue learning from a future Hall of Famer like Brees.
So while others might have taken any chance to be a starter, the former Minnesota quarterback is using 2019 as an opportunity to improve his craft. Something that he hopes will ultimately lead to a better situation in the near future.