Teddy Bridgewater said Thursday he felt like he was on the field playing with his Minnesota Vikings teammates, and emotion crept into his voice as he discussed his journey back from a devastating knee injury.

“Man, I love these guys,” Bridgewater told a sideline reporter. “It’s a great group. I like being around these guys.”

It’s been just over a year since Bridgewater suffered what some thought was a career-ending injury. And while he’ll likely start the season on the physically unable to perform list, there’s talk about him possibly being ready to play later this season.

Teddy Bridgewater said his Vikings teammates continue to motivate him as he works his way back after a serious knee injury. Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports

“God is good,” Bridgewater told KFAN. “Never lost faith. And these guys have been great, continue to reassure that everything is going to be all right.

“At the end of the day, I’m able to stand on the sidelines with these guys and root these guys on. The guys ask me, ‘Man, how do you have so much energy tonight?’ I’m like, hey, I feel like I’m out there playing. This game just means so much to me that whatever I can do to make an impact, whether it’s on the field, on the sideline, that’s my purpose.”

Bridgewater described the monotony of the rehab process.

“It’s a grind, and I love it,” he said. “You embrace it. Every day is a new challenge.

“I’m motivated by these guys. I come to work, and I have my days where I feed off [their] energy, and those guys have been great throughout this entire process. So every day I come in and start with the training staff, go to meetings, do some therapy, go on the field, do some more work, finish up with some therapy, maybe get a workout in or something. Go home, come back tomorrow and do it all again.”