Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday that he anticipates Bradford (knee) returning to practice next week, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
After weeks of failing to show much improvement in his recovery from the left knee injury he sustained in the Vikings' season opener, Bradford underwent arthroscopic surgery Nov. 7 to address the matter and was promptly placed on injured reserve. The Vikings haven't missed a beat while Bradford has been sidelined, with Case Keenum leading the team to a 10-3 record as starter and putting Minnesota a Week 17 victory away from claiming a first-round bye during the postseason. If Bradford does indeed return to practice next week and demonstrates that he's healthy enough to join to the active roster for the postseason, it seems rather unlikely that Zimmer would turn the keys of the offense back over to a potentially rusty Bradford, especially given how well Keenum has performed in his stead.