5 grave errors that cost Marty Hurney his job with the Panthers
By Dean Jones
Teddy Bridgewater’s contract
There were plenty of eyebrows raised when the Carolina Panthers decided to sign Teddy Bridgewater in free agency. The quarterback was hand-picked by the organization to steer them through this expected period of transition. But the length and cost of the deal have come in for some serious criticism.
Bridgewater was given a three-year, $63 million deal that included a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed to prise him away from the New Orleans Saints, where he went 5-0 in the absence of Drew Brees in 2019.
Not bad for a signal-caller that hadn’t been a prominent starter in the NFL since 2015.
But the decision hasn’t gone according to plan.
The former first-round pick’s limitations are there for all to see. Couple this with an 0-8 record in game-winning or tying drives this season and it has only raised doubts about his ability to take Carolina to where they want to be moving forward.
Carolina is now facing a real predicament regarding Bridgewater this offseason, primarily due to his contract situation. Releasing him with a dead-cap figure of $20 million just doesn’t seem feasible and even if they do draft a long-term replacement, it would be a huge surprise if he wasn’t under center at the start of next season.
Hurney should’ve given him a two-year deal with a possible option if things went well. Instead, his gamble on three years won’t have done him any favors whatsoever.