Report: Bridgewater Likely To Become Free Agent March 14
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It appears Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater could be headed towards free agency in a few short weeks.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the NFL is not planning to toll Bridgewater's contract for the 2018 season. It means Bridgewater is eligible to become a free agent when the league year starts on March 14.
With the March looming and some murkiness around #Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater's contract, he is expected to be a free agent, sources say. Minnesota is not planning to assert that his contract tolls and Bridgewater is proceeding as if he's a free agent.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 27, 2018
The decision stems back from when Bridgewater was activated from the NFL's physically unable to perform list, after Week 6. He served as the primary No. 2 quarterback by the end of the season after Sam Bradford went down with a knee injury, then eventually had arthroscopic surgery.
The news doesn't eliminate the possibility that Bridgewater would sign a new contract with the Vikings, but it does mean he can test the free agent market to see what his value is. He's thrown one pass since a devastating leg injury just before the start of the 2016 season. Bridgewater said after this season he absolutely expects to be a starting quarterback in the 2018-19 season.
Now it's just a matter of where that might be.
With Bridgewater and Bradford unable to play most of last season, Case Keenum led the Vikings to a 13-3 regular season, division title and the NFC Championship Game. It's believed Keenum will also enter free agency as the Vikings are not likely to place the franchise tag on him.
Several reports have emerged that the Vikings will be players for quarterback Kirk Cousins.