Teddy Bridgewater can’t help but smile these days.
Even through the sweat and exhaustion that mark the blazing hot days of training camp
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Because he almost wasn’t anymore.
“I get excited every day I get to get my ankles taped, lace my cleats up and run out of the locker room and practice because it was taken away from me for
two years,” Bridgewater said after a recent practice.
“To be able to just wake up and know you have the opportunity to continue to do something that you love doing, it’s a great feeling.”
Bridgewater has the type of perspective few players ever get, or want to get, for that matter. He was able to come back from the type of injury that would end
most playing careers.
But when the Jets open their preseason schedule Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Bridgewater will step on the field — and probably smile some
more.
And then, he’ll get under center for what will likely be his most extensive game action in almost two years.
“Right now, I am doing everything I dreamed of doing and that is waking up and continuing to play football,” Bridgewater said. “It’s a wonderful feeling.
It gives me the chills right now just thinking about it, knowing how the
previous two years were. But you take advantage of this opportunity. I look
forward to every day.
“Some people may say, ‘This is training camp. This is the grind of things, and I can’t wait to get to the regular season, things will be easier,” but I
look forward to it. You embrace the grind because it was once taken from
you.”
On Aug. 30, 2016
Matthew Stafford Jersey White , the former Louisville star was practicing with the Minnesota Vikings when he went down with a non-contact injury. He tore
the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and dislocated the knee joint,
and it is believed that only quick work by the team training staff and doctors
saved Bridgewater’s leg.
Playing football again didn’t seem likely, given the severity of the injury. But Bridgewater never gave up believing in a big-time comeback.
“Never, never,” he said. “I had nothing but positive thoughts. I didn’t allow any negativity to even creep into my circle. I knew that if I’m negative, I’m
going to have those negative thoughts and it may hinder my progress.”
So, Bridgewater approached his recovery and arduous rehabilitation with the same type of determination.
He learned to move his leg again. And walk. Then, jog. And, now, run.
Bridgewater gradually regained strength in his knee and trusted that it would hold up when he dropped back to throw a pass.
On Dec. 17, 2017 — nearly 16 months after he went down in a heap of pain and uncertainty — Bridgewater walked onto the field at U.S. Bank Stadium in
Minneapolis in the fourth quarter against Cincinnati. The fans gave him a
standing ovation, and he went on to throw two passes in the Vikings’ 34-7 win,
including one that was intercepted.
The stats didn’t matter. He had made it back.
Just as he always believed.
“I definitely feel like I’m good,” Bridgewater said of his health. “I’ve been working with the training staff here and we’ve been hitting it hard, and I’m
excited. I’m looking forward to these upcoming preseason games and just getting
out there and having fun playing football again.”
The Vikings moved on from Bridgewater during the offseason and allowed him to become a free agent. The Jets, with uncertainty at the quarterback
position
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The also brought back Josh McCown, the incumbent starter, and drafted Sam Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick out of USC who is considered the future of the
franchise. Having them on the field with Bridgewater this summer has made for an
intriguing quarterback competition.
“He has been a great team player, great in the meeting room and for the guys as well,” coach Todd Bowles said of Bridgewater. “I’ve got to say, this is the
best three-quarterback combination room I’ve been around from a mental
standpoint, so that is great to have.”
McCown is No. 1 on the depth chart, followed by Bridgewater and Darnold, and all three have had up-and-down moments on the field this summer. Off the field,
all three quarterbacks have repeatedly talked about the camaraderie they have
quickly established. And, there’s a ton of respect for Bridgewater willing
himself to even get back to this point.
“Obviously, he’s had a long road recovery-wise from his knee, but his mind has been on football,” McCown said. “You can tell he’s sharp and I’ve been
really impressed with everything he’s done. I think the future is really bright
for Teddy. I’m excited for him.”
Bridgewater has been checking off milestones for most of the past 24 months. He’s not sure how long he’ll play Friday night, but whatever he does will be
another positive.
The next goal on his list
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“I have to sit down and think about the next milestone,” Bridgewater said. “But for now, it’s just living in the moment, enjoying this opportunity and
taking advantage of it.”
Julio Teheran was confident he could shake off his slow start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. Atlanta Braves
manager Brian Snitker was not so sure.
Teheran walked the first two batters he faced and then buckled down to retire 15 of the next 16 as the Braves rolled to a 5-1 win over the Cardinals.
Teheran (6-5) allowed just two hits over six shutout innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter after issuing two free passes over his first 13
pitches.
”The (heat) was kind of bothering me a little bit at first,” Teheran said. ”Then, I started concentrating on the game. When you get your head into what you
want to do, everything else is secondary.”
Snikter was initially concerned.
”The first two or three batters, I was wondering if he was going to make it through,” Snitker said. ”Then he just kind of righted himself and he was sharp,
efficient. His stuff was really good.”
It marked the fifth time this season that Teheran tossed six or more scoreless innings in 16 starts.
”He threw us a bunch of strikes and just kept guys off base,” St. Louis infielder Matt Carpenter said. ”He kept us off balance.”
Johan Camargo had three hits including a two-run double to help Atlanta win for only the fourth time in 13 games in St. Louis since the start of the 2016
season.
”We believe in ourselves and everything is possible,” Camargo said.
Dan Winker recorded his first major league save by retiring the only two batters he faced.
Miles Mikolas (8-3) gave up one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, who have lost two straight.
”I felt pretty good out there,” Mikolas said. ”It was tough dealing with the heat the first couple innings, but after that
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The Braves used successive singles by Camargo, Dansby Swanson and Danny Santana to load the bases with one out in the seventh. Austin Gomber relieved
Mikolas and his first pitch glanced off Ender Inciarte’s helmet for a 1-0
lead.
Camargo slapped a two-run double off Jordan Hicks in the eighth to push the lead to 3-0, and Swanson capped off the three-run inning with a run-scoring
single.
Swanson also had three hits, trying a season high.
Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies singled in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high nine games, and later scored on Nick Markakis‘ sacrifice fly.
Kolten Wong grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth as the Cardinals avoided a shutout.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: C Tyler Flowers left the game with a right hamstring cramp after flying out to end the sixth inning. The game-time temperature was 92 degrees, ”I
did everything I could to prepare for it,” Flowers said. ”No answer.”
… OF Ronald Acuna Jr. returned to the lineup on Friday after missing 27 games with a left knee sprain. He went 0 for 4 … RHP Brandon McCarthy was placed on
the 10-day disabled list with right knee tendinitis. … RHP Matt Wisler was
recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Cardinals: INF Paul DeJong went 1 for 3 in his first rehab start with Triple-A Memphis on Friday. DeJong, who has missed 38 games with a fractured
bone in his left hand, is likely to be recalled on Monday. … RHP Matt Bowman
also began a rehab stint on Friday in Memphis. He has been sidelined with
blisters and numbness in his fingers.
UP NEXT
RHP Luke Weaver (4-6, 4.59) will face LHP Max Fried (0-2, 4.09) in the second of the three-game series on Saturday. Weaver struck out a season-high nine
batters in an 8-2 win at Milwaukee on June 24. Fried was scratched from a
scheduled start at Gwinnett on Friday.
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