EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. —Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said Teddy Bridgewater "suffered a significant knee injury" during Tuesday's practice.
Zimmer said Bridgewater was undergoing an MRI* *when the third-year head coach spoke with members of the media around 4 p.m., approximately two hours after Bridgewater went down without being contacted.
Zimmer said he was watching the part of the play that was downfield in the Vikings only scheduled practice this week between Sunday's game against San Diego and Thursday's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams.
"I was looking downfield," Zimmer said. "I watched it on tape and it was a non-contact type thing, it looked like to me. It was just a freaky deal."
Zimmer said he encouraged Bridgewater, who was lifted by teammates onto a cart and driven off the field. He also spoke with the 23-year-old's mother, Rose Murphy, to provide her with updates on information.
Minnesota did not take another snap. Players headed into the locker room silently, while a few, including Adrian Peterson, remained around Bridgewater.
"Today is a disappointing day because — the No. 1 thing is that Teddy is such a great kid," Zimmer said. "Everybody loves him, so they were disappointed and I didn't think we were going to get much out of practice today, so we'll get back in here tomorrow and we'll get back to work."
The Vikings don't know a timetable for Bridgewater's recovery.
Asked if there's a chance that Bridgewater could return in 2016, Zimmer said, "I don't know, I don't know. It doesn't look good right now."
The Vikings have 15-year veteran Shaun Hill and undrafted rookie Joel Stave on the roster. Taylor Heinicke, an undrafted rookie in 2015, is on the non-football injury list, recovering from an accident between Vikings minicamp and training camp.
Zimmer said he is confident that his team will find a way to move past the loss of Bridgewater, who is 17-11 in his first 28 starts and was coming off his first Pro Bowl season.
"The thing we have to all remember is, is that this is about the team," Zimmer said. "This isn't about a one-man deal. We all feel terrible if it is real significant for Teddy, but this is about the team.
"We have a good team, we have a good defensive team. Our offensive line is much better, we have good receivers, we have maybe the best running back in the NFL. This is about a team, and it's about us trying to figure out ways to win football games."
