Report: Vikings believe Sam Bradford has bone bruise

On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings played in Pittsburgh against the Steelers without starting quarterback Sam Bradford, who was unable to make it through pre-game warmups due to a knee issue.

And then after the game, Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer gave an answer that was about as clear as mud when asked about Bradford, saying Bradford is “fine,” but then saying he could be on the shelf for as long as six weeks.

While there was a report on Sunday that Bradford, who has dealt with two torn ACLs, does not have any structural damage, there wasn’t any clarity on what exactly he’s dealing with.

But on Monday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, citing a source, said the Vikings believe Bradford has a bone bruise:

Pelissero added that the plan is to see how Bradford’s “knee responds to an injection and go from there.”

A short time later, in his press conference, Zimmer said Bradford is “day to day” and that he didn’t have a crystal ball to show him when exactly the quarterback would be able to play again.

“If wish I did, I’d call some games better,” Zimmer quipped.

Zimmer told reporters he was being facetious on Sunday when he said Bradford could miss up to six weeks, adding, “Honestly, I don’t know how long he’ll be out,” and that he doesn’t think the injury will be long term. Giving the impression that Bradford might be able to play this week, Zimmer said he thought Bradford had a chance to play against Pittsburgh before he saw the quarterback’s pregame workout.

With Case Keenum starting in Bradford’s stead, the Vikings lost to the Steelers, 26-9, falling to 1-1.