Rhule Says Teddy Bridgewater's Injury is "Not Significant"

As of Tuesday morning, it remains unclear as to who will lineup behind center for the Carolina Panthers this Sunday as starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is dealing with an MCL sprain that he suffered this past week vs Tampa Bay.
Bridgewater had an MRI on Sunday night and the results showed that there was no structural damage, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. This is a good sign and likely means that it's not anything that should keep Bridgewater out for an extended period of time.
Head coach Matt Rhule told reporters on Monday evening that he doesn't know all the details of the injury, but does know that it's not as serious as some thought it may have been.
"He doesn't have a significant injury. He went and got all the testing last night, I just don't want to say the wrong thing. What structural [damage] means? I don't know, but he does not have a significant injury."
Rhule also says that Bridgewater has been very positive about the injury and is preparing as if he will be playing. "He was just in meetings. I just came downstairs with him. I texted with him last night and Teddy is in typical Teddy sprits. He's looking forward to the week. We'll see what he can do and see how he responds. Obviously we have Will [Grier], we have P.J. [Walker]. We have confidence in both of them, but we'll wait and see what Teddy's situation is."
The Panthers will return to practice on Wednesday and as of now, the plan is for Bridgewater to be day-to-day. There's a good chance he dresses for practice tomorrow, but likely limited in the amount of work he puts in. Backups Will Grier and P.J. Walker will likely see more reps than usual this week just incase Bridgewater is unable to play.
The Panthers and Lions kickoff this Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.