Fifty-two mornings ago, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford left locker rooms and headed to practice fields in Eden Prairie and Philadelphia, respectively. They warmed up 1,167 miles apart, yet were mere moments from their worlds beginning to collide when Bridgewater's left knee collapsed in a freakish season-ending injury.
"When I found out Teddy had gotten hurt, I think I said some prayers for him just because I've been in his shoes," Bradford recalled Wednesday. "As far as thinking that I could end up here, I really didn't think about it. I didn't let it cross my mind."
And yet here we are in another one of those who-would-have-guessed-it NFL moments.
Bradford still is having the excellent season he and Eagles coach Doug Pederson say they excitedly envisioned for him 52 days ago. The only difference is it's unfolding in Minnesota, where Bradford will lead the surprising 5-0 Vikings into Philadelphia to play the Eagles (3-2) and rookie No. 2 overall draft pick Carson Wentz on Sunday.
"Initially, I was a little shocked because all along Sam was my [starter] with Chase [Daniel] No. 2 and Carson No. 3," Pederson said Wednesday while recalling the possibility of the trade that brought the Eagles a first-round pick next year and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2018.
Pederson's first depth chart as Eagles coach was blown apart within four days of Bridgewater's injury. Howie Roseman, Eagles executive vice president of football operations, and a friend by the name of Rick Spielman, Vikings general manager, began working on a win-win trade scenario in which the Eagles would be paid handsomely while the Vikings would avoid the ugly possibility of a Super Bowl contender opening a new stadium with only Shaun Hill and Joel Stave at quarterback.
"It's hard to let your starter go," Pederson said. "But you just have to know who Carson is and the type of person he is in order [to understand making] that decision."
Wentz, the big kid from little North Dakota State, was at his home away from home — the woods — doing his second favorite sporting activity — hunting — when Pederson called him Sept. 3. It was four days after Bridgewater's injury and eight days before the opener. Wentz hadn't even played in the third preseason game — Bradford was excellent, going 17-for-20 with a 114.0 passer rating — and was getting the call that he was going from No. 3 to opening-day starter.
