The Vikings listed Matt Cassel as their starter on the team's first preseason depth chart, but Teddy Bridgewater has every opportunity to flip the script.
Coach Mike Zimmer on Wednesday confirmed that the rookie signal-caller will work with the ones after replacing Cassel in Friday night's preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders.
"Teddy will get some reps with the first team, yes," said Zimmer, per The Star Tribune.
Bridgewater has been the talk of Vikings camp, with play-caller Norv Turner praising the young passer for playing at an "awfully high level" ever since Minnesota moved up to take him with the No. 32 overall pick.
Against Oakland's refurbished defense, Zimmer wants to see how Bridgewater "handles the game situations" when his red jersey is replaced by a bullseye.
"When the lights come on, it will be a different deal," Zimmer said. "It will be good for him and how he reacts to seeing different defenses he hasn't seen very much of, how he has to adjust to the blitz, get the ball out, make the right calls. How he plays under pressure. I anticipate he's going to play very well."
For all the fervor surrounding Johnny Manziel, it's Bridgewater's play that's turning heads. While Turner wants to see his pupil adjust to the blitz and make quicker reads on the fly, Teddy's 68.4 career completion percentage in college and his outrageous 31:4 touchdown-to-pick ratio at Louisville last season suggest a smart passer:
Cassel is nothing more than a bridge quarterback in Minnesota -- a very short bridge, if the rookie manages to burn down the house against live competition.
The latest Around The League Podcast debates which offense will be the NFL's most prolific and dives into the quarterback battles in Cleveland and Minnesota.
