Carolina Panthers: 3 current players that fans love to hate

Carolina Panthers player No. 1: Teddy Bridgewater (QB)

It’s hard to fathom a player on this list that has yet to play a down for the Carolina Panthers. But Teddy Bridgewater is already proving to be a polarising figure through no real fault of his own.

The quarterback was the highest-profile arrival in free agency when he signed a three-year, $63 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed. This caused some division with Carolina’s fanbase. And a lot of this had to do with the treatment given to Cam Newton.

The 2015 NFL MVP propelled himself to superstardom and became the face of the Panthers from the moment he stepped onto the field. There is little doubt he probably deserved a bit better given the timing of his release. And this has left people with a bitter taste in the mouth regarding a player they idolized for almost a decade.

This has piled further pressure on Bridgewater going into the season. It is hard to root against a player that has come back from the brink to secure another shot at starting in the NFL. But the signal-caller will need to start well or it won’t take long for those that wanted Newton to get a chance with the new regime to make their opinions known.

Bridgewater will know this going into the season. He has a calming presence around him and can put that to good use during a critical first season in a Panthers’ uniform.

If things don’t work out. Those that didn’t want him around will turn their attention to campaigning for Carolina to take a high-end quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.