Vikings

Mike Zimmer Preparing to 'Work Through the Process' to Determine Quarterback

Photo Credit: Brian Curski

As Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer addressed reporters for the final time before heading to his Kentucky ranch for a period of solitude, he made one thing clear: Not even he knows who next year’s quarterback is going to be.

“I guess it’s unique,” Zimmer said. “But, it’s part of the process in the NFL. You work through it and you go about your business.

“We’ll work through all that process. I’m really not prepared to comment on it after we got back at 3 a.m. yesterday, so we’re just going to work through it, just like we always do, and go from there.”

Zimmer faces an unprecedented conundrum with three free agent quarterbacks who all believe they should be the heir at quarterback.

It’s the Vikings’ version of Game of Thrones.

Case Keenum just put together a career year, but he’ll be turning 30 soon and will come at great cost, whether that’s the franchise tag or a long-term contract.

Teddy Bridgewater won’t have played in a meaningful game in 2.5 years when next season comes around, but he’s still just 25 years old, won 11 games in 2015 and has lots of favor in the organization.

Sam Bradford has a history of knee injuries, but he might be the strongest and most accurate of the three when healthy.

In a what-have-you-done-for-me lately league, Keenum has the highest price tag, but is it steeper than his true value? Bridgewater, on the other hand, may come more affordably, even if his contract does not toll as some suspected because of Bridgewater’s time on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Zimmer seemed keen on playing Bridgewater late in the season, but Keenum’s high level of play kept Bridgewater on the sideline with the exception of two passes late in Week 15’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bridgewater appears to be healthy after a rigorous rehab from a dislocated knee, but is he rusty?

“I think he’s doing good now,” said Zimmer. “He’s at the point where he can play. You just have to figure out where’s he at because obviously we didn’t get to see him through games.”

Bradford has started more recently than Bridgewater, but he likely saw his value plummet thanks to a third significant knee injury in seven seasons. He became the forgotten man when Keenum emerged and Bridgewater returned to health, but the Vikings chose to elevate him to their primary backup in the playoffs.

Even if the Vikings don’t prefer Bradford over Keenum or Bridgewater long term, the decisions of the former two could cause them to circle back to their 2017 Week 1 starter.

“I talked to [Bradford] yesterday,” said Zimmer, “We had some conversations between me and him, but he feels like he is [past his knee injury], so we’ll just have to see how he continues to improve.”

The next six weeks will provide more clarity to Minnesota’s most captivating quarterback quandary in years.

It’s a quick turnaround for Zimmer and Co., who this time last week were still hoping to play in the Super Bowl.

“Up until 3 a.m. the other night when the game got over,” Zimmer said, “my whole focus was on the now and not so much the future.”


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