Vikings say Teddy Bridgewater is in good spirits, eager to bounce back

Whether it was in his hospital bed after his season-ending knee injury or at Winter Park today, Teddy Bridgewater was both in good spirits and determined to bounce back, according to his coach and teammates.

“I saw him in the hospital the one night, but he was in the training room today. I think it was good for Teddy,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “When I walked in the training room, there was probably 20 guys in there and they were all sitting on the training tables and talking to him and joking around like they always do. So it was good for not only us, but for Teddy as well.”

Shaun Hill, the quarterback who will get the first crack at replacing him, said it was just as beneficial for him to see that Bridgewater was OK.

“Just because of the last time I saw him, it was good to see him smile and talk to him,” the 36-year-old QB said. “I can tell, I can get the feeling from him — just like in the statement he released — he understands that he’s going to bounce back from this and be stronger for it.”

And Bridgewater had some words of encouragement for Hill, too.

“He just told me to go get them,” he said. “He was very supportive.”

Tight end Kyle Rudolph was one of several teammates who went to see Bridgewater at the hospital once he was ready to welcome visitors. The group included running back Adrian Peterson, defensive end Brian Robison, cornerbacks Terence Newman and Captain Munnerlyn, and a few others.

“[He was] joking around with Adrian, [saying] ‘When I get back, I’m going to win the MVP, too,’” he said. “[To see him] talking about how he was going to battle his rehab, … to see him in such high spirits definitely was good.”