4 most important Panthers players vs. the Saints in Week 17
By Dean Jones
Teddy Bridgewater – Carolina Panthers QB
This is Teddy Bridgewater‘s final opportunity to leave a lasting impression before the Carolina Panthers head off on their off-season break. The quarterback has been underwhelming for large parts of the 2020 campaign after signing a three-year, $63 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed during free agency, which is going to result in plenty of speculation regarding his future in the weeks and months ahead.
The Panthers knew what Bridgewater’s limitations were when they brought him to Carolina.
Which makes the length of his deal even more of a head-scratcher.
His accuracy is unquestioned, as is the player’s ability to lead. However, the signal-caller is clearly suffering from some confidence issues of late that is not giving Bridgewater the courage to take the necessary risks needed to improve performance.
Bridgewater’s first outing against the Saints this season was one of his best. The former first-round pick did very well in the face of his old teammates on his way to 254 passing yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, an 82.1 percent completion percentage, and a QBR of 88.5.
Something similar will be needed this time around to keep the wolves from the door. But that moment may be past the point of no return for Bridgewater regardless of how he performs during the last game of the season.