Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater has ‘significant’ knee injury

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater warms up Sunday before a preseason game against the Chargers. –Andy Clayton-King / AP 

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a ‘‘significant’’ knee injury in practice Tuesday and the team was awaiting tests to determine how long he might be out.

Coach Mike Zimmer confirmed the injury a few hours after an ambulance took Bridgewater from the practice field to a nearby hospital. There is no timetable on how long the third-year quarterback will be out. But when Zimmer was asked if he had any hope of Bridgewater being able to return sometime this season, the coach replied, ‘‘I don’t know. It doesn’t look good right now.’’

Bridgewater dropped back to pass during a drill, planted his foot and immediately went down. He grabbed his left knee while concerned teammates and athletic trainers huddled around him.

Zimmer called off practice after 25 minutes, and the rest of the team walked off the field while Bridgewater was being attended to. Moments later, a siren-blaring ambulance pulled into the team’s Winter Park headquarters, stayed for about 10 minutes and then pulled away with the quarterback in tow, his leg immobilized in an air cast. ‘‘Teddy’s such a great kid,’’ Zimmer said. ‘‘I love this kid. Our fans love this kid.’’ Zimmer said the team would release full details when it receives the results of tests done on Bridgewater’s leg. Players were visibly distraught as they exited the field, some hurling expletives into the air. A small group remained behind, huddled around him in prayer as team athletic trainers tried to get him stabilized. Zimmer tried to straddle a fence in his remarks between being concerned for Bridgewater, one of the most popular players on the team, and not allowing his players to give up on a season that has not even started. He addressed the team in full after practice was called off and said he had also spoken multiple times to Bridgewater’s mother. ‘‘We’re not going to stick our heads in the sand, we’re not going to tuck our (tail between) our legs,’’ Zimmer said. ‘‘We’re not looking for excuses. We’re going to go out and fight like we always do.’’