Are the 49ers still in play for Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater?
By Dean Jones
Could the San Francisco 49ers still be in play for Teddy Bridgewater if the Carolina Panthers decide to trade the quarterback this offseason?
Teddy Bridgewater might be the No. 1 for the Carolina Panthers at the present moment, but there is every chance that might not be the base by the time competitive action rolls around in 2021. The quarterback went through his fair share of struggles in critical situations with the game on the line in 2020, which has seen the organization make no secret of their desire to get an upgrade at the position.
Had the Los Angeles Rams not come in with a more enticing offer, then Bridgewater could well be playing for the Detroit Lions right now. The Panthers put together a package for Matthew Stafford that went as far as the team obtaining his medical records, which demonstrates how serious a player Carolina is in the quarterback sweepstakes this offseason.
Of course, the main target is Deshaun Watson despite the Houston Texans being less than accommodating to any offers so far. There is also the small matter of the signal-caller’s civil suits to consider, although according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Panthers are still interested in a possible trade.
If this doesn’t work out, then Carolina might want to move up and acquire one of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s looking highly likely that Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields could all go in the first four picks, so the Panthers need to be decisive with any surge up the order to acquire their player of choice.
Either way, the future looks bleak for Bridgewater.
But there could be some interest from other teams looking to boost depth at the position.
Why the 49ers might come back for Teddy Bridgewater.
One such team is the San Francisco 49ers, who were reportedly one of the teams that called Carolina to get the lay of the land where the former Louisville standout was concerned, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The 2019 NFC champions are sticking with Jimmy Garroppolo, at least for the time being, but they are examining every possible avenue for a better insurance policy at the position in 2021.
The Niners welcomed free-agent Joe Flacco for a visit last week without anything coming from it. So the longer it takes for them to find a viable backup option, the more likely it will be that they could call the Panthers once again to work out a deal for Bridgewater.
One obvious complication to all this is Bridgewater’s contract. The Panthers gave him a three-year, $63 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed last year, which comes with a $17 million base salary in 2021 and an overall cap hit of $20 million.
Trading Bridgewater would see Carolina eat $10 million of dead-cap money, which isn’t ideal in the current financial climate. San Francisco would also have a hugely expensive backup with just $7.8 million of resources available.
At least on the face of things money-wise, this just doesn’t seem feasible. However, NFL teams are adept at moving finances around when it comes to these situations, so if general manager John Lynch wants it, he’ll make it work somehow.
As for the Panthers, they’ll want a replacement before deciding to formally move on from Bridgewater. The sooner they can do this, the better. But there promises to be plenty of twists and turns to come regarding a situation that will change the landscape in Carolina.