Mike Zimmer announced on Thursday that Matt Casselwould start the Minnesota Vikings' second preseason game Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals.
During that announcement, the coach noted a message he'd given to the recently struggling Teddy Bridgewater, whose head appears to be spinning while learning the nuances of NFL quarterbacking.
"He's got so much going on in his mind right now that I just want him to play," Zimmer said, per The Star Tribune. "That's what I told him (Wednesday), and that's what I'm going to tell him before the ballgame. Just go play. You've been doing this since you were 5 years old. Go play and have some fun. Throw the ball in there. If you make a mistake, we'll fix it and go on."
Bridgewater agreed with Zimmer, admitting he needs to get out of his own head.
"Basically, I have to stop overthinking," the rookie said. "I haven't been pressing, but I have been overthinking."
The coaching staff has raved this offseason about Bridgewater's ability, but until the game slows down for him mentally, expect Cassel to continue to steer the Vikings' ship.
For Zimmer it's just matter of time before Bridgewater eventually gets his shot behind the wheel.
"I love Teddy Bridgewater," Zimmer told USA Today. "I love him. I think he's going to be tremendous. And I don't know when."
*The latest "Around the League Podcast" broke down the biggest position battles and ranked the best backup QBs in the league. *
