Shaun Hill is not Teddy Bridgewater, but he's seen this plot twist before

Suddenly: Shaun Hill.

However jarring for fans and NFL observers that sentence might be, this is not unfamiliar territory for Hill. In fact, it's eerily similar to his August of just two years ago.

St. Louis starter Sam Bradford, a former top pick, had the Rams' hopes on his shoulders when he was hit while throwing in an Aug. 23, 2014, preseason game and lost for the season.

In steps: Shaun Hill.

Bradford re-injured his reconstructed knee in that game, and the veteran Hill was suddenly the Rams' guy. In this new role, Hill largely failed – thanks, in part, to the Vikings.

In Week 1, Hill started against Minnesota at St. Louis and was injured after throwing eight passes, one for an interception. In the second half, the largely unknown Austin Davis took over, and Davis kept the starting job for several weeks.

In Week 10, Hill regained the starter role and led the Rams to a victory over Denver, throwing for 220 yards and completing 68 percent of his passes.

Hill's play was mostly steady for three weeks, as the Rams went 2-1 with victories against the Raiders and Washington. But the Rams would close the year 0-3, with Hill throwing four interceptions to just two TDs.

He finished the 2014 season with eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, seven fumbles, a 63 percent completion percentage and a mediocre QB rating of 83.9.

And that's pretty much the last time Hill has seen NFL action. He was the Vikings' backup last season, but appeared in only three games and threw seven mostly meaningless passes.

Now, with Teddy Bridgewater out for the season and the Vikings' opener 11 days away ... here Hill goes again.

Mark Craig wrote a deeper look at Hill, his experiences and what Hill's presumed role means for the team for Wednesday's Star Tribune.