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Mike Zimmer Says Teddy Bridgewater Will Practice Wednesday

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (WCCO) -- Whether he ends up playing this year or not, Teddy Bridgewater has already beaten the odds.

Bridgewater is coming back from a devastating knee injury 14 months ago, to getting medically cleared on Monday to resume practice with the Vikings, which will happen on Wednesday.

"He had faith the whole time, and he believed in himself," Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said.

"He persevered through a lot, and to see a guy like that work hard to get back, and be able to do what he's done is great," Jerick McKinnon said.

Bridgewater's teammates were ecstatic Monday about the news so many people wondered if would ever come. That nearly 14 months after he collapsed on the practice field, he was cleared to return to it Monday morning and will do so on Wednesday.

"Yeah it's great, he's worked extremely hard," coach Mike Zimmer said.

The Vikings' plan for Bridgewater is this: Slowly ease him back in.

"He hasn't practiced in 14 months, so...," Zimmer said.

They now have a 21-day window to evaluate him in practice and decide whether to activate him, or put him on injured reserve.

"But he'll stay on the PUP list until he's ready to play. We'll take it one day at a time just like we did the last 14 months," Zimmer said.

Minnesota's offense has changed a lot since then.

"When that happened Norv was here, so it's been a whole new wave of offense and stuff like that," McKinnon said.

But Zimmer says Bridgewater has stayed current.

"Yeah he's good. He's been taking the script every week and running it by himself over there on the other field, so he'll be ready. Teddy's smart," Zimmer said.

And we'll soon find out if his body is as ready as his brain.

 

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