4 biggest offseason questions the Panthers need to answer
By Dean Jones
What is the long-term plan at QB?
If the Carolina Panthers were hoping for Teddy Bridgewater to cement his place as their long-term starter at quarterback after they cut ties with Cam Newton, then it was an objective failure. The free-agent signing was inconsistent throughout the campaign and his performances down the stretch left plenty wondering whether the organization will go in a different direction during the offseason.
Nobody will know how much pressure Bridgewater is under than the man himself. Head coach Matt Rhule has already laid down the gauntlet and declared that the signal-caller needs to have a “tremendous offseason” in a bid to turn around his fortunes. But the calls for Carolina to select quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft are now deafening.
Bridgewater’s contract dictates he’ll be around next season.
But what comes after that is highly uncertain.
Giving the former first-round pick such a lengthy deal with he hadn’t started properly since 2015 was a big gamble that hasn’t really paid off. Having so much uncertainty surrounding the most important position on the field isn’t the most promising and although Bridgewater will be given another chance, a better contingency plan needs to be found before OTAs and training camp begins.
Much will depend on whether Joe Brady gets a head coaching position after generating plenty of interest. This was the man largely responsible for endorsing Bridgewater and if a new man comes in with a fresh set of ideas, it could mean bad news for a player who is immensely hard to root against.