5 Panthers players that will be grossly overpaid in 2021 if not cut
By Dean Jones
Teddy Bridgewater – Carolina Panthers QB
- Cap hit – $23 million
Some might consider a $23 million salary-cap hit as a pretty run of the mill figure for an NFL quarterback. However, considering what Teddy Bridgewater showed under center during his first season with the Carolina Panthers, one could say he is overpaid.
The Panthers backed themselves into a corner without knowing it with Bridgewater’s contract. It was a big risk to give a player who hadn’t started prominently since 2015 a three-year, $63 million deal with the $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed, and one that hasn’t really paid off so far.
Carolina had four players go over 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2020 and their record was 5-11.
Simply unacceptable.
Bridgewater needs to take his fair share of the blame for this. Yes, his protection wasn’t up to scratch at times and Christian McCaffrey only lined up alongside him in the backfield for three games. But his lack of conviction with the game in the balance was deeply concerning.
There are already deafening calls for the Panthers to select their quarterback of the future in the 2021 NFL Draft. The coaching staff’s decision to bring in free-agent Dwayne Haskins for a visit was something that spoke volumes about what they thought of Bridgewater’s contribution, although there is no chance of the team releasing him until 2022 at the earliest.