Mike Zimmer: Evaluation of Teddy Bridgewater's knee revealed concerns

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A postseason medical evaluation of Teddy Bridgewater's left knee revealed concerns, according to Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.

Speaking to reporters at the head coaches breakfast during the annual NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Zimmer was asked for his perspective on the health of the former Vikings quarterback and what he witnessed after Bridgewater returned to practice this past November.

"The reports I'd get back from the medical people weren't as positive as I was about it," Zimmer said. "That's kind of how it came down is that his knee wasn't as ... he still has some recovery to do. When I watched him in practice, he moved well, I didn't see limitations, but, from what I was told, there was some."

Bridgewater dislocated his knee during a noncontact drill on Aug. 30, 2016. It took him nearly 15 months of rehabilitation before he was medically cleared to return to practice on Nov. 8, 2017, then moved to the 53-man roster ahead of the Vikings' Week 10 matchup in Washington. From Week 10 through 17, Bridgewater served asCase Keenum's backup.

"When I saw him in practice, I thought he could handle everything," Zimmer said. "I never saw him being hampered with that, but other people are talking to me and had different opinions, I guess."

But during the Vikings' postseason run in January, Bridgewater was inactive, replaced by Sam Bradford (knee) who had returned to practice right after the new year after being placed on injured reserve the same day Bridgewater returned to practice in November.

Zimmer reiterated that Bridgewater did not suffer a setback that led to him being inactive during the postseason.

"No, I put Sam in because he had a great game against New Orleans, and then, at that point, I just kept it the same way," he said. "And I talked to Teddy about it beforehand, but no, there was no setback."

Bridgewater appeared in only one game last season, during the fourth quarter of a blowout win over Cincinnati in which he attempted two passes. The report Zimmer said he received after the 2017 season had ended expressed concerns about the long-term health of Bridgewater's knee.

"It was more about, like, when you get a physical on a guy and his knee is A, B or C or D or whatever it was," he said. "It was, as a long-term thing, to be nervous about. It was out of my hands."

Bridgewater became a free agent earlier this month and signed with the New York Jets on a one-year deal with only $500,000 in guaranteed money. His total contract has a value upward of $14 million, with $5 million coming from his base salary and $9 million in incentives. Given that his signing bonus is the only thing guaranteed, the Jets could cut Bridgewater before Week 1 and take on only $500,000 in dead money.

Speaking to New York media last week on a conference call, Bridgewater said he was "not comfortable" discussing his recovery and timetable. Zimmer said he didn't believe that Bridgewater's comments had anything to do with the health of his knee but rather that the quarterback "wants to move forward." Jets coach Todd Bowles relayed a brief plan to reporters in Orlando regarding his expectations for the 25-year-old quarterback.

"I just want to see him throw," Bowles said. "We want him to be healthy, and I expect him to throw this spring, and we'll go from there."

After the season, Zimmer referenced a report he received at the time of Bridgewater's injury from head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman. The report cited 24 sports injuries similar to Bridgewater's, half of which the athletes in question never recovered from. The earliest someone with this type of injury returned, Zimmer said, was 24 months.

With the grave nature of the statistics he had received, the Vikings coach wasn't confident in the likelihood of Bridgewater's return.

"It was doubtful," Zimmer said. "But I think the part about knowing who the kid was made it a little bit better."

Bridgewater was cleared to practice 15 months after he dislocated his knee and tore multiple ligaments, including the ACL.

"For him to come back from the injury that he had was significant," Zimmer said. "Really, it was remarkable. No one in the history of the world has ever come back from the injury that he had in that amount of time."

ESPN's Kevin Seifert and Rich Cimini contributed to this report.