Most Minnesota Vikings fans probably aren’t thinking much about next season in the midst of a run that has been as exciting as it’s been improbable.

However, certain recesses of the front office are almost certainly already weighing options at the quarterback position heading into next season, with a handful of viable paths to tread that each offer their own positives and negatives.

Any and all conversations must begin with starter Sam Darnold, who has excelled in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system, and what will become of him if/when he becomes a free agent in March 2025. Multiple scenarios in which Minnesota moves on from Darnold exist, and if that does happen, a former Vikings starter should be available to replace him on the roster and could prove a seamless fit.

That player is Teddy Bridgewater, a first-round pick of the franchise in the 2014 NFL draft.

Teddy Bridgewater Good Fit as Veteran Backup for J.J. McCarthy

GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.

Bridgewater has been out of the league since the end of the 2023 campaign, transitioning into a job as the head coach of Miami Northwestern, his former high school, which he led to a state championship in December.

Bridgewater told Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network earlier this week that he intends to make a comeback in 2025 despite his coaching success.

“That’s the plan. My team knows that’s the plan,” Bridgewater said. “We wanted to win a state championship and then coach goes back to the league, see what happens. And then come back February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Bridgewater isn’t likely to get a starting shot anywhere upon his return, assuming he makes a roster after taking a full year off. However, the 33-year-old makes sense as a potential backup QB and was on the radar of several teams in that regard this summer and early into the season.

The Vikings could make sense as a destination given his history with the team, particularly if Darnold departs in free agency and Daniel Jones goes elsewhere in hopes of finding a starting opportunity.

Bridgewater’s experience in the league and recent history as a coach profile him as a solid veteran backup for rookie J.J. McCarthy, who will take his first-ever regular season snap in Week 1 next season if Minnesota ultimately names him the starter.