Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been impressive thus far in camp. Now in a clear competition with veteran Matt Cassel for the starting job, it appears that Bridgewater is holding his own. And new Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has decided to reward him with some first-team reps when they take on the Oakland Raiders on Friday evening.
Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater will get some first-team reps in preseason opener vs. Raiders.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 6, 2014
This is actually some rather big news. Cassel had been thought to be the front-runner for the starting job, but this recent development could very well mean that Bridgewater stands a good chance of starting Week 1.
It’s all going to be about who performs better during the preseason and who picks up Norv Turner’s playbook the quickest. That latter point is what makes this decision so intriguing. Normally a rookie getting first-team reps over a veteran isn’t a huge deal. That’s not the case here. Cassel is in the same boat as Bridgewater here, in that he has yet to take live-game snaps in this new offense. If he were the clear favorite to win the starting job, the Vikings would want Cassel to receive as many first-team reps as possible heading into the preseason.
Photo: USA Today