Minnesota Vikings: Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater create conundrum

Sam Bradford’s contract is up after the 2017 season and he’ll seek big money, causing the Minnesota Vikings to face a difficult decision about their future.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford was the most efficient passer in the league in terms of completion percentage in the 2016 season. The former Oklahoma Sooner converted on a ridiculous 71.4 percent of his throws in his first season in Minnesota. What’s more, he set career best marks almost across the board.

However, that still wasn’t enough to put his team into the postseason, or even post a winning record as a starter. After Shaun Hill won in Week 1 for the Vikings with Bradford still learning the playbook following the trade to acquire him just over a week before the start of the regular season, Bradford went 7-8 at the helm. While the Vikings’ collapse in the second half of the season wasn’t solely on the quarterback, it was at least in part due to his inability to find an extra gear.

All of this is what you get with Bradford at quarterback. He’s efficient when healthy, but he’s far from being a game-changer. That’s why he’s never registered a winning record as a starter in a season. Moreover, it’s why his 7.02 yards per attempt were a career high in 2016, despite ranking just 19th in the NFL in that category last season.

Yet the Vikings are faced with a difficult decision at the end of the 2017 season. Bradford’s contract will expire and the man who Minnesota gave up their 2017 first-round pick for will be a free agent. And according to ESPN’s Ben Goessling, that means that the quarterback is going to want big money. Goessling had this to say on that:

"But as the prices for quarterbacks continue to rise and the Chicago Bears — a team the Vikings will play twice this year — pay Mike Glennon an average of $15 million a year, Bradford’s agent Tom Condon will undoubtedly be looking for a deal that pushes the quarterback’s average figure north of $20 million and includes at least $40-$50 million in guaranteed money."

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Even if Bradford were to again stay healthy (something he’s rarely done) and were to post a winning record in 2017, it’s hard to justify that type of price tag. Yes, Mike Glennon got a big deal from the Bears, but that was also a deal banking on his potential. With Bradford, he’s 29 years old and, from what we know, the upside is limited there.

Further complicating the matter is the presence of Teddy Bridgewater, the quarterback they took with the last pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Bridgewater is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered late in the 2016 preseason that necessitated the Bradford trade. He’s shown positive signs this offseason in terms of progress, but there’s still a bit of a way to go on the road back onto the field.

As noted by Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, Bridgewater rehabbing and throwing in OTAs was a surprise and a positive sign. That raised optimism that he could return in 2017, but there’s no real word on that matter just yet. Vensel continued:

"But even if Bridgewater is never cleared to play in 2017, if he completes his recovery and the Vikings feel confident that the 24-year-old will return to the form he showed in his steady but unspectacular first two seasons, they could still view him as their quarterback of the future, especially if Bradford doesn’t build on his impressive first season in Minnesota.If Bridgewater’s comeback attempt stalls, though, and his career remains in jeopardy, the Vikings could instead opt to re-sign Bradford, who as the starter entering 2017 will have some say in all of this, too. Or they could look to the stacked 2018 quarterback class for their next beacon of hope."

Therein lies the conundrum with the quarterbacks in Minnesota. Bridgewater’s health hangs like a black cloud over the future of the team. At just 24 years old and having shown promise and progression on the field, there’s a chance he’s still their future. But if his knee never full recovers, then the Vikings would have to consider paying that lofty price for Bradford. Either that, or Minnesota would look to the draft, which would depend on the veteran’s performance in 2017.

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This isn’t to say that Bridgewater was exceptional prior to the injury. His job largely consisted of handing the ball to Adrain Peterson when he was the starter in 2014 and 2015. What’s more, he has just 28 touchdown passes over two seasons, compared to 21 interceptions.

But at the same time, he’s a full five years younger than Bradford. With that age gap comes a wider gap in terms of upside, in favor of Bridgewater. He has the potential to be far more than he showed before his career was put on hold. That’s why Bridgewater should be the unquestioned Option A for the Vikings at quarterback.

If the Louisville product’s recovery goes off without a hitch, Minnesota should let someone else pay Bradford. Both financially and in terms of the game on the field, that’s the best move for the franchise, without question. Should his recovery not go as swimmingly, it’s still hard to talk yourself into Bradford with that price tag. With a quarterback rich 2018 draft, the Vikings would have to strongly consider the options there, and many would appear to be the better option for a team’s future in comparison to Sammy Sleeves.

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This isn’t a decision that the Vikings have to make right now. Bradford is going to be the starter Week 1, barring a miracle. However, it is a quandary that the front office has to already be sorting out. How Bradford performs in 2017 could either complicated the decision, or make it easier if he were to struggle. Until they hear the word that Bridgewater can’t return, though, he should remain the key figure in their future — not Bradford.