Mike Zimmer told ESPN in a production meeting ahead of Monday Night Football tomorrow that he “anticipates” Sam Bradford will start against the Bears. Bradford has missed the last three weeks with pain and swelling in his knee.

Bradford injured his surgically-repaired left knee in a non-contact play against the Saints in week one. After a couple weeks of rest and rehab, he appeared to suffer a setback in late-September and opted to a seek second opinion from Dr. James Andrews. Andrews confirmed that Bradford did not suffer structural damage but rather a bone bruise.

Earlier this week, Bradford was surprisingly candid with media, saying that he anticipates his knee will not be 100 percent at any point in the season. Still, he expressed confidence that he would be able to play through the pain sooner rather than later. If what Zimmer said is true, then Bradford has finally reached a point where he will be able to manage the pain.

This news comes mere hours after Jason La Canfora reported that the Vikings plan to activate Teddy Bridgewater from the PUP list in two weeks. If Bradford is able to stay healthy, it is likely he will remain the starter and Bridgewater will serve as backup.

–Sam Smith is the Managing Editor for cover32/Vikings. Like and Follow @samc_smith Follow @cover32_MIN

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