4 potential trade destinations for Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers are going to move on from Teddy Bridgewater this offseason, but which teams might look to acquire him in the trade market?
It would be a huge surprise if Teddy Bridgewater was under center for the Carolina Panthers in 2021. The organization endured some inconsistent play from their quarterback after his arrival in free agency last year and they are looking to make a big splash in the coming weeks to improve production at the most important position on the field.
Giving Bridgewater a three-year, $63 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed wasn’t the greatest decision in the world. This is a player who hadn’t started a full season since 2015 and although his play wasn’t the worst in the world, an inability to come through in the clutch coupled with clear confidence issues down the stretch leaves Carolina with no option other than to seek alternatives.
Whether this comes during free agency, the 2021 NFL Draft, or with a bombshell trade for Deshaun Watson is unclear at this juncture. The Panthers came close to acquiring Matthew Stafford before the Los Angeles Rams came in with a better offer, so the best possible solution would be to start looking for a potential suitor for Bridgewater at the earliest opportunity.
The Carolina Panthers have made their intentions clear.
This is all part of the cutthroat business of the NFL.
And the simple fact of the matter is Bridgewater just hasn’t done enough.
Had the former first-round pick had better protection and Christian McCaffrey available for the entire campaign, things might have been different. However, there are more doubts than ever about his ability to lead the franchise moving forward and the key decision-makers seem intent on moving on from Bridgewater after just one season.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at four possible teams who might become trade partners for Bridgewater this offseason.
Team No. 1
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are one of the teams looking for a new quarterback after Philip Rivers decided to call it a day following a superb 17-year career. Backup option Jacoby Brissett is out of contract, so it remains to be seen whether Indianapolis brings him back. But this might just be a good fit for Bridgewater on a roster that isn’t too far away from being a serious Super Bowl challenger.
They have an elite offensive line that would give Bridgewater far better protection than he received with the Carolina Panthers. Rookie Jonathan Taylor is an emerging No. 1 running back and some intriguing weapons in the passing game to call upon.
Indianapolis also has the salary-cap space to absorb Bridgewater’s contract in this scenario. Considering they aren’t in a position to draft any of the top four prospects in the draft, this might not be too bad of an option for all parties involved.