Teddy Bridgewater: My purpose will not be denied
— -- MINNEAPOLIS -- Two days after he sustained a season-ending knee injury in the team's final preseason practice, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater issued a statement on Thursday vowing he will be back.
Bridgewater, who suffered a dislocated left knee, torn anterior cruciate ligament and other structural damage during a non-contact drill during practice on Tuesday, referenced his mother Rose Murphy's successful fight against breast cancer and said he would attack his rehab with "the same vigor and energy."
"I want to thank the Wilf family and the entire Vikings organization, all of my teammates, friends, Eric Sugarman and the amazing Vikings athletic training staff and the fans who have sent me messages and wished me well," his statement said. "Your thoughts and prayers mean a lot to me and have helped me in this difficult time. There are great players and great leaders in our locker room who are going to fight to the end to reach the goals we set for 2016. I will be there mentally, physically and in spirit to support them accomplish those goals.
"In order to have a testimony, you have to have a test. I come from amazing DNA, I watched my mom fight and win against breast cancer. We will, as a team, attack my rehab with the same vigor and energy. My faith is strong, my faith is unwavering and my vision is clear. My purpose will not be denied."
The quarterback's injury put a stunning and abrupt end to the Vikings' practice, with several teammates throwing their helmets and shouting expletives as others dropped to a knee in prayer after Bridgewater went down. The team's athletic training staff quickly fitted Bridgewater with a vacuum splint, and the quarterback was taken by a Hennepin County Medical Center ambulance to a nearby hospital after the team diagnosed him with a dislocated knee. In his statement on Tuesday night, Sugarman said Bridgewater had not suffered any nerve damage as a result of the dislocated knee.
The Vikings placed Bridgewater on injured reserve Wednesday, and he was expected to undergo knee surgery in the next few days. The team had released Brad Sorensen on Tuesday before Bridgewater was injured early in their practice; the Vikings resigned Sorensen on Wednesday after putting Bridgewater on IR. With backup Shaun Hill becoming the starting quarterback, Joel Stave and Sorensen are expected to get most of the work in the Vikings' final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday.
