Teddy Bridgewater is the Definition of Hope
Teddy Bridgewater’s doctor is in awe of his comeback. pic.twitter.com/gmEU6Gee1E
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 22, 2018
“I never saw it break Teddy down. … Most people have no idea the volume of the workload this kid had to put in. He had a toothpick of a leg he had to rebuild.”
Teddy Ballgame. — https://t.co/xHXNmr6IXk
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) August 22, 2018
Teddy Bridgewater is one tough son of a bitch.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the situation, Teddy Bridgewater wrecked his knee during a team practice two Summers ago. You can read his doctor’s comments above to get an idea of how serious it was.
That injury kept him out for the entirety of the 2016 season. Once he was healthy and ready to take the field again in 2017, Case Keenum had already ran away with his starting job for the Vikings. 2017 was a contract year for Bridgewater. It was supposed to be his chance to earn himself a big contract, yet all he could do was sit on the bench and watch. Coming off that serious of an injury and having to sit out almost two full seasons, there was no guarantee he’d land another starting job in the NFL.
Even with the odds stacked against him, Bridgewater continued to work on getting back to 100%. Now enter the 2018 off-season; The New York Jets decided to take a flier on Bridgewater. Seeing as they just drafted their hopeful franchise QB in Sam Darnold, it’s safe to say that the job isn’t Bridgewater’s for the taking. There is no quarterback controversy. We all know that Sam Darnold will be the Jets starter Week 1, and I’m sure Teddy does too. But does he let that keep him down? No. All he’s looking for is a chance to prove us wrong.
I know it’s only been two pre-season games, but Bridgewater has been lighting it up for New York so far. In those appearances, he has racked up 212 yards on 17 completions and thrown two touchdowns, all while giving up just one interception. He has also posted a QBR of 113.0. For someone coming off a knee injury as gruesome as his, that’s pretty damn impressive.
Bridgewater has shown us all that he still has what it takes to be a starting QB in the NFL. His level of mental toughness and resilience alone is something that is very hard to come by. He’s been knocked down time and time again, but somehow manages to get back up every single time. That’s a guy I’d take on my team any day of the week, especially on Sundays. I’m praying that the Jets cash in on his production and send him somewhere he has a chance to start. He deserves another shot.
-Nick Cherico (@NickCherico2)