4 potential trade destinations for Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater
By Dean Jones
Minnesota Vikings
It’s no secret that Teddy Bridgewater is still adored by fans, players, and staff of the Minnesota Vikings. He was on track to become one of the league’s best young players at the position until a freak training camp injury in 2016 put his career in doubt and all-but ended the team’s hopes of securing an elusive first Super Bowl at the time.
Mike Zimmer spoke incredibly highly of Bridgewater prior to the Panthers’ playing at U.S. Bank Stadium earlier this season. The pair developed a close bond and although it was a business decision to let him walk, bringing him back would be immensely popular despite his inconsistent 2020 season.
Speculation continues to progress regarding a potential deal for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is reportedly being targeted by the San Francisco 49ers for a potential reunion with Kyle Shanahan. If the Vikings pull the trigger and let its No. 1 option go, then they’ll need to come up with a contingency plan to keep Minnesota in playoff contention.
Of all the options, this one might be the most profitable for the Carolina Panthers.
The Vikings have a bounty of 2021 NFL Draft picks despite giving up their second-rounder in the ill-fated Yannick Ngakoue trade, and general manager Scott Fitterer has made no secret of his desire to generate more in the way of selections before it’s time to choose Carolina’s latest batch of college recruits.
This would probably be a welcome destination for Bridgewater, which represents a career that was hanging in the balance coming full circle with a return to the Vikings.
Much like most of the league, Minnesota is about to go through some salary-cap difficulties. So whether they could make enough funds available to absorb Bridgewater’s deal is questionable.