Bridgewater: 'I definitely believe I'll play this year'

Eleven weeks remain in the NFL regular season, and Teddy Bridgewater has no doubt he'll be back on the field before the season ends.

"I definitely believe I'll play this year," the Minnesota Vikings quarterback said Thursday.

Bridgewater returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering a gruesome knee injury in which he dislocated his kneecap and suffered a complete ACL tear during last year's training camp. The rehab has been long and arduous, but the fourth-year pro said he felt no rust during his first team practice in more than a year.

"It was great to be back out there yesterday, working with the guys. It's been a long 14 months," Bridgewater said. "But it was great to be back out there and see the reaction from the guys, the reaction from the fans. It just meant a lot to me."

Since Bridgewater was sidelined, he and the team have refrained from putting a timeline on his return, and on Thursday, he again chose not to put a date on when he would play in his first game since the 2015 season. But he expressed that he has no concerns about his repaired knee.

"I'm very confident (in my knee)," he said. "I wouldn't have gone out on the practice field if I wasn't."

Bridgewater has yet to participate in a full-contact environment, causing head coach Mike Zimmer to state Wednesday that he still "has a ways to go" before being cleared to play. But with Week 1 starter Sam Bradford also sidelined with a knee injury, Vikings fans can take solace in the fact their former first-round pick is on the road back.

"It's not hard taking it day by day at all. I've learned to appreciate each day. Every day I wake up, put my feet on the ground, I'm thankful I'm able to walk. I'm able to stand up on my own," Bridgewater said. "There was a time where I needed help, I needed assistance. So I've learned to appreciate the smaller things."