Following a devastating knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2016 season and most of the 2017 campaign, new Jets QB Teddy Bridgewater believes he can return to the form he flashed in his first two pro seasons.
"I'm very confident. I'm confident in myself, confident in the athletic training staff and the coaching staff here that they can eventually get me back to the player I once was," he told reporters today on a conference call. "But at the same time, we're only in March and the only way to get better is to put the work in now. And I'm excited about this opportunity that I have to not only be a Jet, but to work with the group of guys on this team, with the staff that's here and I just can't wait. I'm excited."
Bridgewater, a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2014 who led Minnesota to an NFC North title in 2015, has appeared in 30 NFL games and started 28 contests. He compiled a 17-11 as a starter, completing 64.7% of his passes overall for 6,150 yards with 28 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.
"I'm feeling good," Bridgewater said of his health while declining to give specifics on his recovery. "It's the offseason. Just like the other guys in the league, I'm just working to get better each and every day."
While saying he embraces competition, Bridgewater joins a roster that includes veteran Josh McCown and the Jets own the No. 3 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. He said he'll continue to take it a day at a time and do anything he can to help the Green & White win games.
"This is a team that was headed in the right direction and has a great coaching staff, a great athletic training staff and a group of guys who are eager to continue to make names for themselves in this league," Bridgewater said. "As a guy who has the same mindset of those guys, this was the best spot to eventually continue my career."
