The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the December 18th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Teddy Bridgewater Returning, Top Unexpectedly Good Viking, Andre Carter II
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: Since Teddy Bridgewater wants to come back, which team will he play for?
Answer: Probably none of them.
Bridgewater teased the comeback last month before his high school squad won the Class 3A chip, and many wondered if he was offhandedly joking. Well, he wasn’t.
Asked about his comeback on The Insiders this week, Bridgewater replied, “That’s the plan. My team knows that’s the plan. We wanted to win a state championship and then coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football. We’ll see how it plays out.”
In theory, Bridgewater could sign with the Las Vegas Raiders or New York Giants, two teams experiencing quarterback turmoil. Or, if a playoff-bound starting QB1 fell injured, Bridgewater’s phone may ring.
If he does return this season, we’ll say it’s because an injury sidelined Jared Goff, and Detroit wanted insurance for Hendon Hooker.
Otherwise, if Bridgewater wants to return, he’ll probably have to go through a training camp, preseason, and all that. Thirty-two-year-olds are rarely hired off the street in December.
Q: Who’s the Vikings player that’s stood out the most even though you didn’t expect it?
Answer: By default, it has to be Sam Darnold. But most have commonly accepted that he’s pretty good now. We don’t really have to worry about Darnold suddenly stinking.
So, let’s go with defensive tackle Jalen Redmond.
Redmond would be the NFL’s fourth-best interior defensive lineman if he qualified for Pro Football Focus‘s snap count. All the guy does is make plays when called upon.
He’s a tackle-for-loss savant, and Minnesota should certainly re-sign him for the long haul. Keep an eye on No. 61 because his playing time will continue to spike. Guy’s a baller.
Q: Why did Minnesota let Andre Carter II go to the Raiders?
Answer: They didn’t really have a say in the matter.
Carter II lived on the practice squad, as there’s no room in the 53-man roster EDGE room for him in 2024. Minnesota would have to demote or release Bo Richter, for example, to have Carter II on the active roster.
And when a player lives on the practice squad, he’s eligible to be stolen by any other team, so long as the stealer adds the player to the active roster.
Therefore, the Raiders, a club needing EDGE depth after Maxx Crosby’s injured reserve trip and Janarius Robinson’s suspension, pilfered him from the practice squad.
This is how it goes, for better or worse. The same thing happened with the Vikings, Panthers, and Luiji Vilain.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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