"It was a play-action pass. I faked to Adrian Peterson, and once I put my foot in the ground after the play, everything just snapped," Bridgewater told Joseph Person of The Athletic for an oral history of the injury and his comeback published Tuesday.

He previously noted the anniversary of the setback in a Twitter post Sunday:

Teddy Bridgewater @teddyb_h2o

August 30, 2016 While riding in back of that ambulance, I didn’t know what my football future had in store for me. In the midst of so much uncertainty and pain, I found peace and my purpose in life. Dear August 30, 2016..... Thank you.

Bridgewater suffered a torn ACL, dislocated knee joint and other structural damage around his left knee, but it could have been worse. He explained to Person that head trainer Eric Sugarman requested key feedback during the ambulance ride to the hospital.

"I was just asking how bad was it. And I asked him if I was done. He asked me if I could still feel my foot. I told him I started losing feeling. That's when he just yelled at the driver to try to speed up," he said. "... I knew if I had lost feeling in my foot, that would have meant nerve damage and I would have had the possibility of losing my leg."

The 2015 Pro Bowl selection added: "Honestly, I was just thinking was I ever gonna play ball again? I wasn't really concerned about whether I was gonna lose my leg at the time."

Bridgewater missed the entire 2016 season and didn't return for Minnesota until December 2017, when he came off the bench for a brief appearance.

The University of Louisville product joined the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2018 season and made five starts in place of the injured Drew Brees last year. He guided the team to a 5-0 record in those games and compiled a strong 99.1 passer rating across nine appearances in 2019.

Now, at age 27, he's in line to receive a second chance to serve as a full-time NFL starter after signing a three-year, $63 million contract with the Panthers in March.

"Just because I overcame it and made it back to where I want to be, that's not it," Bridgewater told Person. "There's still more meat left on the bone. I can't be content with how far I've come. There's a ton more that I want to accomplish. I just have the opportunity now to do it again. I'm thankful for that."

Carolina is scheduled to open the regular season Sept. 13 when the Panthers host the Las Vegas Raiders at Bank of America Stadium.