NFL Rumors: T.J. Yates has been fully cleared after ACL surgery
According to Ian Rapoport, free agent quarterback T.J. Yates has been fully cleared after ACL surgery. Will he be a good fit for a team needing a quarterback?
With the NFL season less than two weeks away, free agent quarterback T.J. Yates is looking for a team. Despite being so close to the start of the season, some teams still could use a quarterback like Yates.
A recent injury to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings has them on top of that list. Bridgewater left practice on Tuesday after suffering a non-contact knee injury. This, of course, is not a good sign for the Vikings and their 2016 season.
Yates has played in the NFL for five seasons as mostly a backup, but he does have some experience. In five seasons, Yates has totaled 1.534 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
In 2011, Yates was able to start and win a playoff game for the Houston Texans in one of the most unlikely scenarios in recent years. By no means is Yates considered to be a star quarterback, but he is serviceable. At this point in the offseason, a serviceable quarterback is all that you can hope for.
For the Vikings, their current backup to Bridgewater is 36-year-old Shaun Hill. Compared to Yates, Hill has had more success in the NFL, but adding Yates would give the Vikings a solid backup to Hill if that is the direction they want to go in.
Depending on the severity of Bridgewater’s injury, Yates can certainly be an option for the Vikings. Even if it isn’t Minnesota, Yates should be able to find a home somewhere this season after being fully cleared.
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