Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford ruled out for Week 4

For a third straight game, the Minnesota Vikings will be without quarterback Sam Bradford.

It seems fitting given his history of underachievement, but after the best game of his career in Week 1 Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford has been sidelined by an issue with his surgically twice-repaired left knee. Case Keenum has started the last two games and recorded a 1-1 record, and he’s coming off a big performance in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (369 yards and three touchdowns).

Bradford did not practice at all on Wednesday or Thursday, at least when the media could see, so he seemed sure to miss Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. After practice on Thursday, Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer made it official.

Bradford was at limited in practice at the same point last week, so he appears to have regressed in some way if he is now being held out entirely. A trip to see Dr. James Andrews late last week confirmed there’s no need for surgery, as Bradford is dealing with a bone bruise and has no apparent structural damage in his knee. So Zimmer’s previous declaration that Bradford is week-to-week is coming true, and will surely continue to be the case as pain tolerance and swelling in the knee become the lead issues.

Keenum, for some reason, has owned the Buccaneers in his career while being decidedly backup caliber against most of the rest of the league. But when he started against the Lions for the Rams last year, Keenum went 27-for-32 for 321 yards with three touchdowns and an interception while posting a 126.7 passer rating. So if there’s another team he’ll feel confident against, it could be Detroit at home on Sunday.

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It’s not clear when, or from a more pessimistic perspective if, Bradford will be able to play. But as long as Keenum is playing well, Bradford’s status won’t be a major issue for the Vikings.