4 Panthers players with the most to lose after the bye week
By Dean Jones
Teddy Bridgewater – Carolina Panthers QB
- Long-term prospects
Teddy Bridgewater has more pressure on his shoulders than most. This is true with anybody playing the quarterback position but with concerns growing about just how far he can take the Carolina Panthers long-term, he’ll need to prove beyond all doubt that the former first-round pick is the man for the job down the stretch.
Few would argue that Bridgewater wasn’t deserving of getting another starting job again after the level of competence the player demonstrated under center during his 5-0 run with the New Orleans Saints in 2019. How he got the job in Carolina left a sour taste in the mouth after the way Cam Newton was treated, which had nothing to do with the Louisville product but piled more pressure on nonetheless.
Bridgewater’s less than stellar showing at the Vikings left more questions than answers and it remains to be seen whether or not he can rectify the problems that have been there for all to see of late.
There appears little doubt Bridgewater will be under center in 2021. This is the first time he’s been the No. 1 option on a team since his freak training camp injury in Minnesota back in 2016, which is easy to forget in the fast-paced world of the NFL.
That doesn’t give him a pass by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s a little too early to be writing off Bridgewater’s chances just yet.