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Ex-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has concerns about some NFL players, specifically how they conduct themselves as men.
Bridgewater was drafted by the Vikings in 2014 to kickstart the Mike Zimmer era.
Seemingly unsolicited by anything in particular, Bridgewater wrote on his Facebook page this week, “Tired of seeing football players portray this tough guy image or pretend he’s gangsta. You went to school, attended those classes, and some even their college degree. So, don’t wait until you inherit this legal money from the league to decide you want to be tough or portray a street image because it’s kids that’s looking up to everything we do.”
While Bridgewater didn’t reference any players by name or cite examples of problematic ‘gangsta’ behavior, tragedies have beset the NFL this offseason. Although, most weren’t due to ‘street image’ behavior referenced by the quarterback.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was killed in April by a dump truck while crossing a Florida interstate. Haskins was intoxicated at the time and was later revealed to have ketamine and norketamine in his system. Last November, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs allegedly killed a woman in Nevada with his Corvette as a result of drunk and reckless driving.
It is unclear if Bridgewater was referring to generalized behavior that he observes around the league or tragic examples in the last year.
Currently a member of the Miami Dolphins, Bridgewater has bounced around the league after departing the Vikings in 2018. He was supposed the be the QB1 savior for the Vikings as a younger man but suffered a devastating injury before the 2016 season kicked off. Thereafter, Bridgewater landed with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and now Dolphins. He’ll serve as QB2 to third-year signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa in 2022.
On and off the field, Bridgewater is a man of faith and conducts numerous charitable events and endeavors. Following the aforementioned gruesome injury six years ago, Bridgewater tweeted, “I never asked God why this happened to me, I’ve only told him thank you. A year later, he’s showing me why this happened to me. Blessed.”
Bridgewater will get another glimpse of the Vikings in October. Minnesota travels to Miami in Week 6 for a showdown in South Beach.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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