Teddy Bridgewater injury: torn ACL, “other structural damage”

Earlier today we told you that Teddy Bridgewater had suffered a “significant” knee injury in practice on Tuesday. Now we know more about just how significant the injury is.

Long story short: it isn’t good.

Minnesota Vikings head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman released the following statement regarding Bridgewater’s injury:

Teddy Bridgewater suffered a noncontact 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.

Obviously one can assume that Bridgewater will be out for the entirety of the 2016 season. Sugarman’s statement is simultaneously chilling and promising. The fact that the injury was “quickly identified as a dislocated knee” means that it was probably pretty gruesome, which explains why his teammates were so immediately shaken by it. On the other hand, the lack of damage to nerves and arteries means that, strangely, “only” an ACL tear and structural damage is relatively good news compared to the initial reactions we were hearing out of Winter Park.

Stay tuned for much more news and reaction to the incredibly devastating injury.