Things never quite worked out how Mike Zimmer envisioned them when he and the Minnesota Vikings traded up to select Teddy Bridgewater in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. I mean, at one point, it looked like it was going to be a match made in Heaven. But, Bridgewater was the golden boy – having a start to his career similar to Tom Brady’s, at least in terms of wins. The Vikings went 11-5, won the NFC North, and Bridgewater went to the Pro Bowl in 2015. It appeared as though Zimmer had found his long lost love.
That is, until Bridgewater’s knee sploded.
Literally – his knee was dislocated, he tore his ACL, and there was a ton of structural damage. I know the word ‘sploded’ (that isn’t actually a word) is meant to imply humor, but there’s nothing funny about it. His knee fucking BLEW UP.
But, anyway, who knows how things would’ve turned out had Bridgewater stayed healthy? The Vikings may have won a Super Bowl. Or, maybe they wouldn’t have had the 2017 that they did. We’ll never know.
But, one thing that we do know is that Zimmer had an unquestioned burning desire for Bridgewater.
Courtesy of Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter:
Zimmer really mourning loss of Teddy as young, franchise quarterback with whole career ahead of him: “I always told him you and I are going to be together forever. My career’s going to go as long as your career goes. But it just didn’t work out that way.”
Doesn’t this sound like a line from one of those cheesy romance novels?
Like, Nicholas Sparks could have written The Notebook about Zimmer and his love for Bridgewater. It’s a passion that I both love and respect. Quite frankly, it’s getting a little dusty in here. That’s a way of masking the burning in my heart with masculinity. Don’t you just hate these missed opportunity, what-could-have-been type of stories?
I hear Zimmer speak of Bridgewater, and my soul just breaks. There’s a single tear running down my face as I type this. I don’t want to get too campy, but listen, folks – love may very well be the most powerful thing in the universe. And, that love was given and taken away from Zimmer.
Bridgewater has since signed with the New York Jets. In my opinion, he’ll get a chance to one day return to that Pro Bowlin’ gunslinger. But, if he does, there’s no doubt that there’s one man in Minnesota who will always be watching.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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