Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is nearing a deal to stay with the New Orleans Saints, but no agreement has yet been reached, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
News that the team is expected to re-sign Bridgewater was first reported by NFL Network.
Bridgewater, a former first-round pick, served as Drew Brees‘ backup with the Saints this past season. It was another important step in Bridgewater’s comeback from a devastating knee injury suffered in 2016, when he was with the Minnesota Vikings.
Bridgewater, 26, had an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance in 2015, his second season with the Vikings. However, his career was derailed for nearly two full seasons after a gruesome left knee injury in the summer of 2016 that included a torn ACL and other structural damage.
He signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the New York Jets as a free agent last March, then was traded to the Saints during the preseason for a 2019 third-round pick. Bridgewater made his first start in nearly three years when the Saints rested Brees in Week 17.
Although Bridgewater threw for just 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a loss to the Carolina Panthers, he continued to show teams that he was healthy again.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder was drafted 32nd overall by the Vikings in 2014. He went 6-6 as a rookie starter and helped Minnesota reach the playoffs the following season. He threw for a total of 6,150 yards, 28 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in those two seasons.
ESPN’s Mike Triplett contributed to this report.