New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says Teddy Bridgewater will start New Orleans' regular-season finale Sunday against Carolina.
The decision announced Friday afternoon allows starter Drew Brees to rest for playoffs with the Saints already having wrapped up the top seed in the NFC.
Bridgewater has appeared in just four games this season and has thrown only one pass, which was incomplete. Now the former first-round draft choice by the Vikings is set to assume his first prominent role in a regular-season game since 2015. A major knee injury has sidelined Bridgewater nearly all of the last two seasons.
Payton says Bridgewater has "looked sharp all week," and has made some "pretty special" throws during practices this season.
Bears' guard Long might return from IR
The Bears appear likely to get starting right guard Kyle Long back from injured reserve for Sunday's game against the Vikings, although no decision has yet been made.
Long has been out since Oct. 28, when he suffered a tendon injury in his right foot against the New York Jets.
"I thought he's had a good week of practice and, again, when you're out that long and you come back, a lot of it is just getting your wind back, your conditioning back and then obviously trying to see exactly how you feel pain-wise and then health-wise as well," Bears coach Matt Nagy said Friday. "But he's done a good job."
It appears the Bears will be without several other key players, however.
