The Minnesota Vikings are treating Teddy Bridgewater with caution.
The team's starting quarterback resumed throwing Tuesday after sitting out last week's preseason tilt against the Seahawks with a shoulder issue. Bridgewater, though, was restricted to passes inside of 15 yards, skipping the portion where "quarterbacks chucked deep balls," per The Star Tribune's Matt Vensel, who noted that "some of the shorter throws he made noticeably lacked a little velocity."
After skipping the Seattle game, Bridgewater didn't throw the ball during either of Minnesota's weekend practices before jumping back into the fray on Tuesday. Coach Mike Zimmer wouldn't say if Bridgewater will suit up again this preseason.
"He's played an awful lot of games. It's not like he's a first-year rookie," Zimmer said. "We're going to continue to do what we think is best."
After refusing to go into detail last week on why Bridgewater was held out of the Seahawks game, Zimmer on Tuesday explained his thinking.
"I told you guys when I first got here I would try and be as transparent and honest as I can and I will be. But there are certain things I'm not going to tell you," Zimmer said. "If he had an issue with his shoulder then I'm going to make sure that I err on the side of caution. Because if I played him and he got hurt, you guys would be killing me in the press. I'm always going to protect the players. I'm going to do what I think is best for the organization and you're going to have to respect that."
Shoulder issues for any quarterback are concerning, but it's too early to panic over Bridgewater. He should be ready for Week 1, but it's worth monitoring Teddy on a daily basis until further notice.
