Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered an injury in practice on Tuesday. Here are five quarterbacks that could step up in his absence.
At Minnesota Vikings practice on Tuesday, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater appeared to have suffered a knee injury that may end up wrecking a promising season for the Vikings. Practice was called immediately. Teammates were visibly praying that everything would turn out alright for their starting quarterback.
Should the prognosis be as bad as the knee injury looked, the Vikings have a tough decision to make in finding a suitable replacement for Bridgewater. Until landing Bridgewater in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Vikings struggled to find consistent play at the position post-Daunte Culpepper.
Minnesota has a top five roster in the NFC without question, but can’t afford a loss like this at quarterback. Fortunately for the Vikings, they have arguably the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson and a fantastic defense under head coach Mike Zimmer’s watch.
If Bridgewater is out for the year with this brutal knee injury, here are five quarterbacks that could end up replacing Bridgewater under center in Minnesota this fall.
Oct 22, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) passes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Levi
5. Colin Kaepernick
Would the Vikings look at controversial quarterback of the 49ers in Colin Kaepernick? With Blaine Gabbert almost certainly winning the starting job in San Francisco, there is a good chance that the 49ers may end up cutting Kaepernick before the start of the 2016 regular season.
Kaepernick has fallen on hard times as a player. He’s not the same dynamic dual-threat playmaker he was for the 2012 49ers leading that team to a Super Bowl appearance. Though he hasn’t commanded Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense in San Francisco, maybe he can be the spark the Vikings will need in Norv Turner’s offense should Bridgewater be out for the year?
Kaepernick is more mobile and has a stronger arm than Bridgewater. Without question, Bridgewater is a more accurate passer and better above the shoulders than Kaepernick, but the Vikings offense will need some dynamic play in Bridgewater’s absence to stay relevant in the deep NFC this fall.
Turner’s offense is certainly more archaic than what Kelly is running in San Francisco. Though deep drop backs could ruin Kaepernick in the Minnesota, maybe a simpler passing attack from yesteryear could be what he needs to revitalize his NFL career. Either way, Minnesota has to do something and could gamble on a player like Kaepernick in a worst case scenario.
Aug 19, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Zach Mettenberger (4) passes before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
4. Zach Mettenberger
The San Diego Chargers cut quarterback Zach Mettenberger on Tuesday. This was Mettenberger’s first season with the Chargers, but did not appear in either of the Chargers’ last two preseason games. For whatever reason, the reunion with his former Tennessee Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt in San Diego didn’t work out.
Mettenberger has elite arm talent and can make all the throws as an NFL passer. He’s not particularly mobile and does have somewhat of an alienating personality. That being said, there may not be an available quarterback better suited to run Turner’s deep vertical attack than Mettenberger.
It would take a few weeks for Mettenberger to learn the playbook, but if Minnesota’s offensive line can keep him upright, he might succeed in the NFC North on a short-term basis. Mettenberger’s cannon of an arm will do better than Bridgewater’s in frigid outdoor venues like Lambeau Field and Soldier Field.
Mettenberger has played in three pro-style offenses in the last few years. He briefly played in Mark Richt’s offense at Georgia, he starred in Cam Cameron’s offense at LSU, and he had been with the Titans’ Whisenhunt the last two years in Nashville. He’d be a work in progress, but Mettenberger has the skill set to succeed in Minnesota working with Norv Turner.
Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) warms up before game against the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
3. Mark Sanchez
With Mark Sanchez failing to win the 2016 Denver Broncos starting quarterback job over Trevor Siemian in fall camp, the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft might soon become available.
Sanchez isn’t more than a decent emergency starter at this point of his career, but that is exactly what the Vikings need at this time. Though it has been years, Sanchez did quarterback the Rex Ryan New York Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship Games as a game manager behind that great defense.
Minnesota has superior skill positions than those early Sanchez/Ryan Jets teams, but are constructed similarly with a top five unit on the defensive side of the football. Having Peterson still as an elite running back should only aid the Vikings if they are forced to start Sanchez under center.
Sanchez has had more in-game experience than any of the reportedly available quarterbacks on the market. With the Vikings being in contention for another NFC North crown and maybe a deep NFC Playoff run, Sanchez might be a guy that Minnesota can look to game manage in these dire quarterbacking circumstances.
Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Shaun Hill (13) against the St. Louis Rams at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
2. Shaun Hill
In all likelihood, the Vikings are going to go with Bridgewater’s backup Shaun Hill in Week 1. Hill spent the 2015 NFL season with the Vikings as a reliable backup to Bridgewater. He knows the offense well. Both Turner and Zimmer know what they are going to get out of Hill under center.
Hill is 36 years old and a 10-year NFL veteran. He is 16-18 as a starter, completing 62.0% of his passes for 8,053 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. His career quarterback rating is 85.2.
Entering 2016, Hill is one of about 10 backup quarterbacks that NFL offenses would feel confident running the show should anything bad happen to their starter. Though he was only 2-7 for the 2015 Vikings, Hill had his best success quarterbacking the lowly Detroit Lions and the St. Louis Rams before arriving in Minnesota a second time.
The best thing the Vikings can do with Bridgewater out is to maintain as much continuity on the offensive side of the ball as possible. Hill can provide that and help the Vikings stay relevant in the NFC Playoffs race. His only issues to be the starter this fall are that he’s 36 years old and lacks the dynamic playmaking ability to get Minnesota to an NFC Championship Game.
Jun 7, 2016; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) throws a pass during minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
1. Josh McCown
The Cleveland Browns always seem to make questionable personnel decisions, but do have the upper hand in the quarterback depth department. Cleveland will go with Robert Griffin, III in Week 1, but have arguably the best backup quarterback in the league in veteran Josh McCown.
McCown can stretch the field vertically and picks up new offenses with relative ease. He’s been on the trading block somewhat this offseason, but Cleveland hasn’t garnered an offer it likes thus far. The Dallas Cowboys have been the most intrigued by McCown after losing Kellen Moore for the season and Tony Romo for half of it.
Cleveland is going to make the AFC Playoffs. A 6-10 season would be a great year for the lowly Browns. With a chance at drafting Clemson Tigers star quarterback Deshaun Watson No. 1 in the 2017 NFL Draft, will the Browns finally trade McCown before his stock starts to fall?
Minnesota has a great roster and Cleveland is looking to rebuild. For McCown, the Browns will want somebody to help them out Week 1 and probably a 2017 mid-level draft pick. Only three years ago did McCown thrive for the Chicago Bears in Marc Trestman’s aerial attack. He’ll be pricey, but McCown is the best option the Vikings could look at if they want to play for a Super Bowl sans Bridgewater.
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