What is in store for the Minnesota Vikings?
After undergoing an MRI, Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater officially tore his ACL and dislocated his knee in non-contact drills during practice.
Vikings officials announced he will be out for the entire 2016 season.
Preseason took its time to claim victims this year but still found victims nevertheless. Most teams will sit their starters with two franchise quarterbacks going down back to back with major injuries.
Minnesota exceeded expectations in 2015 where they were a field goal away from their first playoff victory since 2009. It seems now that they won’t be able to build upon their success. With their strong defense on all fronts, a young and talented wide receiver group, and a perennial running back in Adrian Peterson, this team was thought to be a dark horse Super Bowl contender this upcoming season.
Now without the young signal caller under center, this team could potentially fall off the rails. Teddy Bridgewater never lit up the box score as Minnesota ranked No. 31 in passing yards with just 183 yards a game, but remained effective in all stages of the game.
Bridgewater’s breakout campaign must be put on hold for now. Adrian Peterson instead will have to fight off father time for another year to carry this roster.
With Denver announcing Trevor Siemian as the starter, Sanchez’s stint in Mile High is all but over. He could be a suitable game manager for the Vikings under Norv Turner’s run-heavy offense.
Other quarterback options outside of the veteran backup Shaun Hill could be Nick Foles in Kansas City, Josh McCown in Cleveland, Geno Smith in New York, and Mike Glennon from Tampa Bay.
A wildcard option for Minnesota is Colin Kaepernick. His tenure looks to be coming to an end in the bay area and with a fresh start on a deep and talented roster, he could salvage his stumbling career.
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It will be a bumpy road no matter who is under center but this team isn’t as dependent on a quarterback as most which could help weather the storm. Another NFC North title looks far from reach with a healthier Green Bay team vying to claim it back, but they could still compete for a wild card spot if all things fall into place. It will take another terrific season from Peterson, an improved receiving core and a potential top 5 defense to carry any quarterback on their roster towards January football.