DETROIT – The Minnesota Vikings will be without their starting quarterback for the third straight week when they take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Sam Bradford has been ruled out for Sunday's game in Minnesota, marking his third straight game on the sideline.
Backup quarterback Case Keenum will start in place of Bradford.
When Bradford first complained of pain two weeks ago, he took part in practice on a limited basis and went through pregame warmups in Pittsburgh on Sept. 17 before being ruled out shortly before kickoff. The Vikings lost to the Steelers 26-9.
In the lead-up to the last game, Bradford was concerned enough about the lack of progress that he traveled for a second opinion from the specialist who performed the two anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions on his knee. Zimmer ruled out Bradford on Friday, giving offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur more time to put in a game plan more tailored to Keenum's strengths.
Keenum finished his college career at Houston as the NCAA's career passing leader with 19,217 yards and 155 touchdowns, but he was not drafted and had to work his way up through the practice squads of the Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams while seeing sporadic action as an injury replacement.
Last year, with the Rams in Los Angeles, he beat out rookie Jared Goff for the starting job and was picked as a team captain until the reins of the offense were turned over to the first overall pick in the draft at midseason. Keenum now has 26 career starts and some rather ordinary statistics on his resume, but he has played on some struggling teams on which he never quite found his footing.
"I just love the way Case comes in the huddle and brings the energy," Vikings running back Dalvin Cook said. "He carries himself like a true-born leader, which he is. He comes in the huddle with that energy, and he's just ready to go out there and fire the ball. Case is slinging the ball. We all know that. He's a good quarterback, but the leadership part is what he brings to the huddle."