Teddy Bridgewater expected to be cleared to practice on Friday, play against Steelers

After suffering a concussion on the final play of the first half against the Baltimore Ravens, Teddy Bridgewater didn’t return for the second half of the game and the offense subsequently fell apart in a 23-7 rout.

Now the Broncos’ QB1 is expected to be cleared by an independent neurologist Friday morning and return to practice, per 9News’ Mike Klis.

The expectation is that he will also be cleared to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers, to the relief of many in Broncos Country.

Bridgewater’s return to the field so quickly post-concussion isn’t an unusual turnaround. Just last season, Patrick Mahomes left the Chiefs’ playoff game against the Browns with a concussion and was cleared to play in the AFC Championship game the following week.

Bridgewater is completing 72.1% of his passes for 892 yards and 5 touchdowns so far this season. Most importantly, he’s not thrown a single interception. Despite his rough first half against Baltimore, Bridgewater is still ranking quite high among metrics that measure quality of quarterback play. He is a major catalyst for the Broncos' 3-1 start to this season.

His leadership and pocket presence will be a boon for the Broncos’ offense going up against a relentless Steelers’ pass-rush.