Rumors Swirl Regarding Vikings Starting Quarterback Situation

Shaun Hill
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

The Minnesota Vikings director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman updated the fans and media on Teddy Bridgewater’s surgical operation in a press release distributed by the team on Friday.

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Eden Prairie, MN (September 9, 2016) Teddy Bridgewater had his left knee surgically repaired yesterday. The procedure was performed by Dr. Dan Cooper at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas, TX. The knee dislocation resulted in Teddy needing a multi-ligament reconstruction. I was able to be present in Dallas, support Teddy and observe the entire procedure. The repair was excellent and gives Teddy every reason to be very optimistic.

Teddy already began the rehab process yesterday, will return to Minnesota to continue on the road to recovery very soon and looks forward to getting back on the field.

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This update received some attention in the media, including some under-informed dissection of the “multi-ligament” phrase, and it is clear that the return of Bridgewater will be a long storyline to follow. The conclusion of which will take place sometime in 2017 at the earliest.

The more pressing matter is which healthy quarterback the Vikings have rostered will start in the regular season opener in Tennessee on Sunday.

For those that trust Ian Rapoport, even after some false reports regarding the Vikings lately, all signs point to Shaun Hill starting this week’s game against the Titans instead of the recently acquired Sam Bradford.

If true, Mike Zimmer surely cannot be happy that somebody on his team leaked this information to Rapoport. Of course, it could be yet another layer of deception taking place, with an intentionally leaked load of you-know-what making its way to Rapoport.

Earlier this week, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey stated that he would prepare to play against Bradford.

“I would think the number of starts, he’s a very intelligent quarterback. He’s faced this defense before. I think they wouldn’t give up a [first-round pick and a fourth-round pick] to have a guy sit very long,” Mularkey said on Wednesday. “I just think he gives them a very good chance. He’s had a very good preseason. Really, both of the quarterbacks have had good preseasons, but I would anticipate that, and if he doesn’t, it’s not going to change the way we prepare.”

We’re skeptical of any reports that don’t come straight from the team itself at this point, to be honest, and could see this thing going either way.

I would also say Mularkey is somewhat accurate in that a great difference in preparation is probably not required to adequately defend either Vikings quarterback. A fully healthy Shaun Hill and an under-prepared Sam Bradford may very well be equally as effective in many of the same ways.

The Vikings will likely feature a run-heavy offense and rely on their defense to be the difference in the matchup, regardless of who is under center. For now, due to the potential for a smokescreen, we’re filing this one away as a “rumor” until word is officially handed down.

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