DENVER — Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will remain overnight at a Denver-area hospital after sustaining a head injury during the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio said Bridgewater had movement in all of his extremities and would be kept overnight “for observation.”
“Everything has checked out good up to this point,” Fangio said. “They think he should be and will be fine.”
Asked if Bridgewater had suffered a concussion, Fangio said: “[I] haven’t heard it labeled that, but I’m sure it probably is.”
Bridgewater suffered the injury while diving for a first down with 5:34 remaining in the quarter and the Broncos facing second-and-5 from their own 30-yard line. He landed facedown on the field and did not move initially.
The Broncos’ medical staff held Bridgewater’s head motionless as they turned him over and strapped him to a backboard before taking him off the field on a cart.
“We you see a guy like Teddy go down, that hurts, man,” said Broncos safety Justin Simmons. “We know what Teddy puts into it, he’s such a big voice in our locker room, it hurts, obviously, from a football standpoint, it hurts as a leader, but just as a friend, a guy that invests into you so much, it hurts to see.”
Said Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb: “It’s scary, man … it’s still traumatizing … scary to see.”
Bridgewater, who was 12-of-22 passing for 98 yards on Sunday, has started all 14 of the Broncos’ games this season. He left Denver’s Week 4 loss to the Baltimore Ravens just before halftime with a concussion.
Bridgewater did not play in the second half of that game, but did play the following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The eighth-year veteran had thrown for a career-best 18 touchdowns this season and was poised to set a single-season best for passing yards.
Drew Lock replaced Bridgewater at quarterback with the Broncos trailing the Bengals 9-3. Lock finished 6-of-12 passing for 88 yards and one touchdown in Denver’s 15-10 loss.
“Everybody in that locker room is happy to hear Teddy’s all right,” Lock said.
Fangio said it was too soon to know Bridgewater’s availability into the week, or for next Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
