Former Viking Teddy Bridgewater Wins Starting QB Job For Denver Broncos
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Former Minnesota Viking Teddy Bridgewater has earned the starting quarterback job for the Denver Broncos, the team announced Wednesday.
Bridgewater, whom the Broncos traded for earlier this offseason, beat out 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock for the starting job.
The Vikings drafted Bridgewater with the last pick in the first round of the 2014 draft. He represents one of the great what ifs in Vikings history, as a knee injury during 2016 training camp temporarily derailed his career.
The Vikings let him walk after signing Kirk Cousins in 2018, and he spent two years backing up Drew Brees in New Orleans before starting 15 games last season for the Carolina Panthers.
In his career, Bridgewater's completed 66.5% of his passes for 11,385 yards, 53 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.
Lock, meanwhile, has started 18 games for the Broncos across two seasons, totaling 3,953 yards, 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while completing 59.1% of his passes.
Broncos general manager George Paton was the assistant GM in Minnesota when the team drafted Bridgewater.
In this year's draft, the Broncos passed on two eventual first-round QBs -- Justin Fields, who went to Chicago, and Mac Jones, who ended up in New England -- to draft cornerback Pat Surtain II.
The Broncos kick off the 2021 season Sept. 12 in New York against the Giants.
