LANDOVER, Md. _ Teddy Bridgewater had every intention of keeping his composure as the national anthem played at FedEx Field on Sunday. But as the quarterback reflected on everything he'd been through over the past 14 months, he couldn't hold back the tears.
"Man, I was trying to keep it together," Bridgewater said. "It's just, opportunities like these don't come around twice. So when you get that second opportunity, you cherish it. You hold it, and you never want to let it go. Today, it got the best of me."
Bridgewater didn't see the field in his first game back on the active roster since he dislocated his left knee and tore multiple ligaments on Aug. 30, 2016. He remained on the sideline as Case Keenum's backup during the Vikings' 38-30 win over the Washington Redskins. That was enough, though, to make Sunday a day that Bridgewater would not soon forget.
"I kind of screamed a little on the sideline, after I said my prayer in the end zone," Bridgewater said. "When I got on the sideline, I was like, 'Wow _ it's really about to happen.' Today was a great moment for my life, my personal life, but it was an even better moment for this team. We got out there, we competed, and we won a game we needed to win on the road."
His career seemed in peril following the injury, which saw Bridgewater rushed to a trauma center as doctors worked to save his left leg. His tenuous situation led the Vikings to decline his fifth-year option before the season, and Bridgewater started the year on the physically-unable-to-perform list, as the Vikings planned for Sam Bradford to be their starting quarterback.
Bridgewater said it's "very important" for him to play this season, but added, "I have to approach each day with the mindset that, hey, I'm going to get better.
"If I play, I play. I'm going to give it my all. I won't hold anything back. But right now, I'm going to be cherishing this moment. It's about the Vikings winning in Washington against a good team."
