Best and worst-case scenarios for Teddy Bridgewater in 2021
By Dean Jones
What are the best and worst-case scenarios for Teddy Bridgewater ahead of an uncertain offseason for the Carolina Panthers quarterback?
One doesn’t have to look hard at Teddy Bridgewater’s situation to see that his future with the Carolina Panthers is bleak. The organization is making no secret of its intentions to get an upgrade on the former first-round pick and had the Los Angeles Rams not come in with a better offer for Matthew Stafford, he might already be off the team.
The NFL is a cutthroat world, one in which Bridgewater deserves a tremendous amount of credit for turning his career around and getting another starting opportunity. However, there is no room for sentiment when it comes to building a winning roster and it’s clear that the Panthers have made their mind up regarding the Louisville product and his long-term future with the franchise.
All signs point to Carolina making an eye-popping offer to try and lure Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans, which would be an absolute game-changer in no uncertain terms. Whether this comes off not is up for debate, but there is also a high chance of the Panthers using their top-end 2021 NFL Draft pick on one of their top signal-callers coming out of college this year.
According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the San Francisco 49ers were one of a few teams that called about Bridgewater’s availability, so there might be a market for him if the Panthers put him on the trade block as expected.
Considering what’s transpired already this offseason, a parting of the ways seems inevitable and leaves one wondering why Carolina chose to give Bridgewater a three-year, $63 million deal when Cam Newton was back at full health with only one-year remaining on his contract.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing to have, obviously. But what are the best and worst-case scenarios for Bridgewater in 2021?