NFL Roundup: Teddy Bridgewater blows out knee, ending his season
By Brad Weiss
Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is out for the season, after dislocating his knee and suffering a complete tear of his ACL.
The absolute worse-case scenario happened to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday. Starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater blew out his knee on a non-contact injury while dropping back to pass at practice. After planting, Bridgewater fell to the ground, and the Vikings immediately called off practice.
Bridgewater dislocated his kneecap, while suffering a complete tear of the ACL. The injury could have been career-threatening, but it is still devastating to say the least. The Vikings were one of the favorites in the NFC heading into the 2016 season, but now they must either sign a QB, or go with 36-year-old Shaun Hill for the foreseeable future.
With all the drama surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, it would have been understood if he did not play in the team’s preseason finale. However, he will start the final game for the 49ers, as he tries to lock down a spot on the roster. The 49ers appear to be headed towards naming Blaine Gabbert the starter, and he will not play in the finale.
Kaepernick has garnered national attention for refusing to stand during the national anthem. He has said he is making a stand against racial oppression, and he apparently has the support of his teammates. He has only appeared in one preseason game this season, going 2 for 6 with 14 yards passing.
Bad news out of Kansas City, as linebacker Justin Houston is slated to begin the regular season on the PUP list. Houston has been having knee issues, and is not ready to come back from a knee “fix” back in February. He will miss at least the first six games of the 2016 regular season. The 27-year-old Houston missed five games last season with knee issues as well.
Staying in the AFC West, Joey Bosa finally joined his San Diego Chargers teammates at practice on Tuesday. After signing a four-year deal with the team on Monday, Bosa ran drills with his teammates and posed for pictures. Both Bosa and Chargers have said there is no bad blood between them, and he is slated to play in the team’s season opener against the Chiefs on Sept. 11.
Next: 2016 NFL season: Record predictions for all 32 teams
The New England Patriots will be without starting quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2016 season, but they may be without his right tackle for the entire 16-game slate. Sebastian Vollmer was placed on the reserve/PUP list on Tuesday, which could spell the end of his season. He can technically return before the end of the season, but it is unlikely to happen.