Teddy Bridgewater releases statement: 'My purpose will not be denied'
MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater released the following statement Thursday:
"I want to thank the Wilf Family and the entire Vikings organization, all of my teammates, friends, Eric Sugarman and the amazing Vikings athletic training staff and the fans who have sent me messages and wished me well. Your thoughts and prayers mean a lot to me and have helped me in this difficult time. There are great players and great leaders in our locker room who are going to fight to the end to reach the goals we set for 2016. I will be there mentally, physically and in spirit to support them accomplish those goals.
"In order to have a testimony, you have to have a test. I come from amazing DNA, I watched my mom fight and win against breast cancer. We will, as a team, attack my rehab with the same vigor and energy. My faith is strong, my faith is unwavering and my vision is clear. My purpose will not be denied."
The injury
The Vikings placed Bridgewater on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday, one day after the quarterback left practice in an ambulance with a dislocated knee and torn ACL. An MRI confirmed Bridgewater suffered a complete tear to his ACL and other structural damage to his knee, the scan also showed no nerve or arterial damage.
Nerve or blood vessel damage could have made the prognosis much worse. Bridgewater is looking at least 6 to 12 months of recovery.
“The bad [news] is that he's got a lot of recovery to get back at the high level that he was functioning at, the good is that because he was already functioning at a very high level his ability to recover that function tends to be better than the average person,” Dr. Marc Tompkins, an orthopedic surgeon at TRIA Orthopedic Center.
Statement from Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman
"Teddy Bridgewater suffered a non-contact injury today at practice. The injury was quickly identified as a dislocated knee. The injury was stabilized, and he was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and evaluation. After undergoing an MRI, it was determined that Teddy suffered a complete tear to his ACL and other structural damage. Fortunately, there appears to be no nerve or arterial damage. Surgical repair will be scheduled within the next few days. Although the recovery time will be significant, we expect Teddy to make a full recovery. I would like to thank all of the medical professionals and our athletic training staff for all of their help today. Teddy has already displayed the attitude needed to overcome this injury and attack his rehab."
READ THIS NEXT - Vikings QB options after Teddy Bridgewater injury