Officially, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is questionable for Thursday night’s game at Lambeau Field with a sprained ankle. Unofficially, it’s not looking good.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the signs are pointing to Bridgewater not playing.
The question the Vikings ultimately must ask themselves is whether an impaired and unprepared Bridgewater presents a better chance of victory than a healthy Christian Ponder. Throw in the risk of aggravation of the ankle injury, and perhaps the right decision is to protect Bridgewater.
Indeed, the smart play for Bridgewater would be to take the night off. But he surely wants to play.
Either way, it’s likely that the Vikings at some point today will elevate McLeod Bethel-Thompson or Chandler Harnish to the active roster, unless the Vikings plan to use a former quarterback like receiver Jarius Wright, in the event that Bridgewater doesn’t dress and Ponder gets injured.
With 12 games left and the Vikings not likely to win at Lambeau Field even if Bridgewater were 100 percent, maybe it makes sense to see what offensive coordinator Norv Turner can do with Ponder. Bridgewater may suffer another injury at some point later in the season, and a team with needs at quarterback may decide to make an offer for Ponder at the trade deadline approaches.