“I Wanted to Be Like Drew”- Teddy Bridgewater Reveals the Biggest Issue he Faced after Returning fom Injury

Teddy Bridgewater’s NFL career has seen quite a few ups and downs in the last six years. He was drafted by Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft (32nd overall). He ended his rookie season with a 6-6 record for the Vikings. However, he upped his game in the season that followed. He led the Minnesota-based franchise to a 11-5 finish. Bridgewater 3,200+ yards and completed 14 TDs against just nine interceptions in his first full season as a starter. But that’s when everything went downhill for promising young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

During a team practice on August 30, 2016, Bridgewater suffered a non-contact injury to his left leg. Subsequent MRIs revealed that Teddy had torn the ACL on his left leg which ultimately ruled him out for the rest of the season. In fact, medical professionals later told Teddy that he would be out for a good 17-19 months before he can return to training.

ALSO READ – “Lot to digest” – Packers Coach Defends Jordan Love and his Slow Start At Lambeau Field

The Teddy Bridgewater comeback story is nothing short of a Hollywood flick

Bridgewater spent considerable time on the sidelines before the Vikings declined to take up his fifth-year contract extension option. He moved to the New York Jets in 2018 but was later traded to New Orleans Saints to serve as a backup to Drew Brees.

Here’s what Teddy had to say about his time in New Orleans while playing alongside the great Drew Brees in an earlier interview with The Charlotte Post.

He said, “One of the biggest problems I had my first year in New Orleans was I wanted to be like Drew. I had to do everything Drew did in order to have success like Drew, but eventually I learned that Drew Brees is Drew Brees. I’m Teddy Bridgewater, I’m coming into the situation, ‘Cam Newton is Cam Newton. I’m still Teddy Bridgewater.’ I can’t go out there and try to be something that I’m not. I play the game the way I play it. I carry myself the way I carry myself. I’m going to live and die by that.”

An injury to Brees last season thrust Bridgewater in the spotlight once again. He went 5-0 before Brees recovered and came back into the first-team setup. Post Cam Newton’s exit from Carolina, Teddy Bridgewater signed a three-year deal worth $63 million in the 2020 offseason.

What should we expect from Teddy and the Panthers in 2020?

Bridgewater is entering his sixth year in the NFL. His new long-term contract with the Panthers gives him some time to stamp his authority in the league in the coming years. Running back Christian McCaffrey will be an invaluable asset for Teddy this season. The Carolina-based franchise start their 2020 season with a home game against Las Vegas Raiders on September 13, 2020. Will Teddy Bridgewater seal his fairytale return with a win on opening day?

ALSO READ – “Every day is a workday for me” – Cam Newton Not Looking To Get Complacent