Teddy Bridgewater‘s time in Carolina may well limited to one season. The Panthers are expected to look to trade their 2020 starter, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).
While Bridgewater’s departure would understandably be expected after the Panthers’ Sam Darnold acquisition, Rapoport adds the team may look to rework the veteran incumbent’s contract. A trade, however, should be regarded as option 1 here. The Panthers gave Bridgewater a three-year, $63MM deal in 2020, bringing in the former Vikings starter to replace Cam Newton. But they made no secret of their desire to upgrade from Bridgewater this offseason.
New Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said the Darnold trade does not preclude the team from keeping Bridgewater, via David Newton of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 49ers are using this stance with Jimmy Garoppolo, though San Francisco could conceivably keep both due to their next quarterback set to be a rookie. A Bridgewater-Darnold QB room sounds less feasible.
It will be interesting to see if the Panthers find a taker. Bridgewater is due base salaries of $17MM and $20MM over the next two seasons, respectively, and a few teams that entered the offseason with clear quarterback needs have moved in other directions. Bridgewater would make sense as a bridge starter (pun unintended) or a high-end backup.
The Broncos are, however, a team that has not addressed its QB situation. And their new GM both indicated the team would add to its Drew Lock-topped depth chart and has a history with Bridgewater. George Paton was in Minnesota’s front office when the team drafted Bridgewater in the 2014 first round. Bridgewater served as the Vikings’ starter from 2014-15 and was on course for a big extension before a severe knee injury sidetracked his career.
Bridgewater, 28, has settled into a role as a safe passer with a low ceiling. He completed 69% of his passes as a Panther last year, when he ranked 17th in QBR in his first season as a full-time starter since 2015, but threw just 15 touchdown passes. In his 2019 starts for the Saints, Bridgewater ranked last in Next Gen Stats’ average intended air yards metric. That said, the Louisville alum has started 49 games and would certainly help a team in need of a stopgap starter or a quality backup.
Dalton/Bridgewater?
Only if the Panthers are willing to take back Foles. And that is simply not happening, so…..
I could see Nagy and Pace just falling in love with themselves all over again if they gave up 14 first rounders for bridgewater “he was our guy and we knew we had to get him at all costs, even the respect of our own fan base meant nothing to us, he is our guy” “we are proud of how he played after throwing those 6 picks in the first quarter, hard to keep your head up and only throw 2 more the rest of the game”
As a bears fan, I find that hilarious and very true!
Too much money got the a back up
I dont understand the darnold love, he reminds me of Sam Bradford. Very decent but never great and won’t win you a championship. that said Bradford got traded multiple times for multiple 1st rnd picks and got paid in the process so maybe darnold can do the same. I follow college more than pro due to my sec ties and live out in cali now, never saw darnold being anything special in college and the nfl seems to want him then not want him. Bridgewater is in the same boat but has better nfl numbers and college pedigree. I’d take him any day of the week over darnold, serviceable and professional will win you some games dont expect the mountain top though…
Broncos
Yes please!
Signed, Andy Reid.
Back to the Saints
Saints have the cap space?
Seems like a Bronco QB contract
Haha feel bad for him. He was not bad for them. Alot of the players were hurt.
Oh boy another half measure. I’m sure the 7th QB since Manning will be the charm.
This is the second time he’s being replaced by Darnold. Sam has to be hoping Teddy’s next move is the Patriots.
How is it the 2nd time?
Bridgewater was on the Jets for a split second
The Jets signed him as a UFA after the Vikings chose Cousins, and then after Teddy proved over the course of the Spring and Summer 2018 pre-season that he could play, and take an NFL hit, they traded him with a 6th to the Saints for a 3rd. Frankly, it looked like a sign-and-trade move from the very beginning, because they had already re-signed Josh McCown to serve as the mentor and bridge QB to whichever QB they ended up with in the 2018 draft.
3/14/18 – Re-sign McCown
3/17/18 – Trade up from the #6 spot to the #3 spot in the draft (4/26/18)
3/18/18 – Sign Bridgewater
Don’t really understand this. Bridgwater is much better than Darnold. Panthers will regret this
Bridgewater is a known quantity. Darnold is still somewhat of a mystery. A game show analogy sounds like this: Would you trade what is in this small box for what is potentially behind door number 3?
Carolina badly overpaid here. Should’ve waited the Jets out, people weren’t beating down their door after Darnold’s first three seasons.
I guess they felt they didn’t have a seat at the end of QB musical chairs…
Carolina definitely overpaid on someone the Jets were definitely going to trade. But given the Josh Rosen cost a similar 2nd round pick in a trade, giving up a 4th and 6th isn’t too outrageous.
Teddy’s welcome in New England
I’d rather see Minshew get a chance on a real team.
Too late now…I think NE is now all in with a big running style offense with Cam, dont you think?
Rather keep cam at that point
I’ve always thought Teddy would be a good fit for the CFL. Don’t see him as ever being anything but a stopgap in the NFL.
Patriots? Broncos? Both have a great group of receivers.
They wanted to upgrade from Teddy B, so they went out and got Sammy D. Makes sense…
Backup for Lamar in Baltimore?
Teddy is so vanilla that vanilla called him bland.
I would love For Teddy to come to the burgh and replace Ben next year… would be a smart move if Carolina can absorb most of the cap hit for 2021 for the Steelers to make it would. But he’d have Juju, Claypool, ebron, D Johnson the following year.
Does he have enough arm for that wind?
I believe he does, but Hell Ben was only throwing the ball 5-10 yards last year and still win division after getting blew out of the water in the playoffs. So if Teddy can throw at least 15-20 yards it’s better than last year. Alright so there is sarcasm in there about Ben, and I hope he bounces back but Steelers were winning with Kordell and I think teddy is better than him so I feel like with our offense he could fit in.
Texans?
The Broncos should trade overpaid Von Miller for overpaid Bridgewater, as a used jockstrap is better than Drew Lock.
Why target one player for a team all around was horrible!! The offensive line Terrible! The Defense Terrible! Get a whole new Team. Stop blaming one person!
Wherever Bridgewater goes he will PROSPER TRUST AND BELIEVE THAT!!
I hope you’re right, and I agree that the criticism of Bridgewater was overwrought given how bad the running game, O line, tight ends and defense were on a rebuilding team, but it sounds like it wasn’t just his checkdowns that had people worried, but his inaccuracy in the long ball game, too, which has been a problem his entire career.
One reason why some Vikings fans were so excited about him going into the 2016 season was because he had looked like he had fixed his deep throwing problems during the pre-season, but that all came to nought.