EAGAN, Minn. -- When the Minnesota Vikings decided to move on from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in free agency, he didn’t fall on to the list of former players whose effect quickly fades. He still is very much on the minds of many in his former locker room after his four years in Minnesota.

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Despite going their separate ways when the franchise ushered in a new era with Kirk Cousins at quarterback, Vikings players often found themselves trying to keep up with the next chapter of Bridgewater’s comeback story from the catastrophic knee injury he suffered on Aug. 30, 2016.

"It was kind of weird. It seemed like every time we had an off day or something, the Jets were on in the preseason," Vikings receiver Adam Thielen said. "I watched a lot of Teddy, and it was really fun to see him have success."

Bridgewater spent the offseason with the Jets before being traded to the New Orleans Saints at the end of the preseason. On Sunday, he makes his return to the Twin Cities as the backup to Drew Brees.

Many fans in attendance will remember the last time Bridgewater stepped onto the field at U.S. Bank Stadium during the fourth quarter of a blowout win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 17, 2017. It was the first time he had played in a game in 708 days, a moment encapsulated by former Vikings quarterback Case Keenum leading a "Teddy! Teddy!" chant on the sideline that spread across the entire stadium.

Those were Bridgewater’s only in-game reps during the 2017 season. Despite being inactive during the Vikings' postseason run, including the last time Minnesota faced New Orleans, in the NFC divisional round, Bridgewater didn’t look back on his final year with the Vikings with any regret.

"It was probably my favorite season by far, even though I didn’t play much," Bridgewater told ESPN in February. "This season challenged my mindset because as bad as I wanted to be out there playing, being the competitor that I am, I wanted to go to war and go to battle with my guys. I had to be out there in a different aspect. I had to be there for the guys mentally."

Teddy Bridgewater returns to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday with a whole lot of Vikings happy to see his career is back on track. Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports

The sudden nature of Bridgewater’s gruesome knee dislocation and the way things played out during his long road back leads to an unknown that’s tough to surmise. The Vikings will never know the heights Bridgewater could have reached in Minnesota and where his career would have taken him had he stayed healthy. All they can do is appreciate the time they had with him and the mark he left on the franchise.

"Teddy’s a winner, a great competitor, unbelievable person," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "I think the team saw how hard he worked to get back from that injury from how bad it was. I’ve got nothing but praise for him. Like I’ve said a million times, I thought he’d be the quarterback for the rest of my career. I love the kid, I love his nature, competitiveness, everything about him."

Even with the limited reps he gets in practice behind Brees, it didn’t take long for the Saints to see what the Vikings had come to realize years ago about their former quarterback.

"There’s a calmness about him," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "He has that poise and that 'it' factor. You can tell the leadership qualities are real strong."

Thielen’s surge in becoming the NFL’s leading receiver didn’t take place until after Bridgewater got hurt in 2016. Though he only caught 16 passes from the quarterback from 2014 to '15, Thielen gives credit to Bridgewater for helping him develop.

"I wouldn’t be the receiver I am today without him," Thielen said. "He kind of thought like a receiver. I remember so many times last year after a game, he’d come up to me and say, ‘Hey, you could have done this better, you could have done that better.’ Just so many things that I wasn’t thinking about that he was thinking about it."

Bridgewater’s lasting impression in the Vikings locker room is about so much more than what he did in his short time on the field. These players watched as he willed himself back from an injury that was expected to end his career and possibly take his left leg from the knee down.

Seeing how their quiet leader fought to get back onto the field and may one day have a chance to become a starting quarterback again is just another phase in his miraculous journey that has touched many.

"Anybody who’s been around Teddy knows he can make a huge impact on you on and off the field," Thielen said. "He’s just really someone that you want to place yourself around."