Sam Bradford is eligible to return to practice, but will he?

Since the quarterback position for the Minnesota Vikings hasn’t been surrounded by enough drama this season, let’s take this day after Christmas to add another log to the fire.

Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that quarterback Sam Bradford, who has not stepped onto the field since the first half of the Monday Night game against the Chicago Bears in Week 5, is eligible to return to practice for the team after being placed on injured reserve.

Bradford somehow injured his knee in the Week 1 victory over the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium, and missed the next three games. He attempted to come back against the Bears, but clearly had no business being out on the field that night, as he could barely move. He had surgery on the knee right around the time of the Vikings’ bye, and was placed on IR when the team activated Teddy Bridgewater from the Physically Unable to Perform list.

That Bradford is eligible to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to, mind you. Case Keenum has, rightfully, asserted himself as the team’s starter for as long as they remain alive in the NFC playoffs, and Bridgewater is currently serving as the backup. The team also has young Kyle Sloter, who is the only quarterback on the team currently under contract beyond this season and has been inactive on game days since Bridgewater’s return.

On the other hand, if something were to happen to Keenum and/or Bridgewater during the postseason, or even in the regular season finale on Sunday, Bradford would give Mike Zimmer and company an interesting ace in the hole that they could pull if they felt the need to.

It’s just another potential layer to add to the Vikings’ quarterback situation from this season, folks. There hasn’t been anything definitive out of Winter Park yet, obviously, but it is something that bears watching.