Jets QB Teddy Bridgewater may get traded soon, but new details about the devastating knee injury he suffered in 2016 shed light on how him being back at all is a minor miracle.
Bridgewater dislocated his left knee during practice in 2016 during what was a non-contact injury. And the doctor who performed multiple surgeries on him recently discussed just how dire the situation was.
"It was just a horribly grotesque injury," Dr. Dan Cooper told Ian O'Connor of ESPN. "It's mangled. You make the skin incision, and there's nothing there. It's almost like a war wound. Everything is blown."
Cooper added that the initial surgery -- which was done after Vikings personnel initially feared Bridgewater would need to undergo an amputation -- was "an absolute gut test" that only about 25 percent of NFL players make it back from.
"I've always said Super Bowls for surgeons don't happen in February," Connor said. "It was an incredibly gratifying thing for me to see a player overcome that. ... That's exactly why I do what I do, to see Teddy play like he did."
The 25-year-old Bridgewater, who missed the entire 2016 season and played in one game toward the end of the 2017 season, has sparkled so far for the Jets in two preseason games.
Bridgewater has completed 17 of 23 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while rushing twice for seven yards.
Regardless of how well Bridgewater has performed, it's expected that the Jets will tab rookie Sam Darnold as their starter. With Josh McCown on board as a backup, Bridgewater could be a luxury the Jets don't need.