EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Teddy Bridgewater will be backed up by Shaun Hill. The quarterback preparing for his second pro season also will be pushed by the 14-year NFL veteran.
Hill **returned to Winter Park** Wednesday for his second running with the Vikings. The 35-year-old made it clear that he's not trying to take a job Bridgewater earned with his **Pepsi Rookie of the Year*** *performance, but he does want to stoke competitive fire.
"It's an interesting dynamic because you want to establish some sort of competitive spirit amongst the guys in the room, but you also understand your role," Hill said. "Teddy is the starter, but at the same time, I'm going to be pushing him."
Hill said the quarterbacks might set up practice challenges, to see who can hit on the most-explosive plays or have the highest completion percentage in a week. The competitions will be fierce but friendly.
"You develop these competitions amongst yourselves, but all the while, our goal, my goal is to improve everyday but also help him be ready for that opponent that week," Hill said. "There's a lot of things in game-planning I think I can help him with. When we sit down and watch film and study our next opponent, I think I can be a huge asset for him because the coaches have a lot of things going on, so a lot of our film study has to be on our own time, so I'll be able to sit next to him and go through all that with him and try and share as much knowledge as I have."
Hill said he thinks he's been in "every kind of position" a quarterback can be in, whether it's competing for a starting job in camp or during a regular season week with an opponent days away. He also filled in for an injured Matthew Stafford in Detroit in 2010 and backed him up from 2011-13 when Stafford started every game.
"To be honest with you, it's better for everybody if you have your established roles," Hill said. "We'll have our own competitions and things and keep it fun, but it's better to have our established roles. I understand that and will be able to fit that role for sure."
Bridgewater, who started a franchise record 12 games at quarterback in 2014, will have the benefit of a player with 13 years of prepping for opponents. He will have a set of eyes on the sideline that have seen a lot of football and a voice in his corner.
"There's a lot of aspects to it, and I'm familiar with all of them and really looking forward to working with him," Hill said.
The relationship has started, with Bridgewater already reaching out to Hill, who said he had heard great things about the 22-year-old.
Bridgewater set franchise rookie records for wins (six), completion percentage (64.4) and passer rating (85.2). Hill has only started 34 games in his career, but has a completion percentage of 62.2 and passer rating of 85.5, which will be helpful in those practice contests.
"Already in his short career, he's gained a lot of respect just for the type of guy he is," Hill said. "He's obviously a talented player. I look forward to hopefully sharing some of the information that I've gained over the years with him, but it's going to be a great work environment for both of us, and it will be fun."
