Did the Panthers show their hand too early at quarterback?
By Dean Jones
Did the Carolina Panthers show their hand too early with regards to getting a potential upgrade on Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Carolina Panthers are looking to get better production from the quarterback position in 2021. Their decision to spend big money on Teddy Bridgewater last year hasn’t gone as they’d have hoped and judging by their intentions so far this offseason, the organization isn’t going to stand around and hope the former first-round pick can turn things around at the second time of asking.
Anyone who wasn’t aware of Bridgewater’s limitations upon his arrival was kidding themselves. He didn’t put together the worst statistical season by any stretch of the imagination, but his inability to come through with the game on the line saw the Panthers finish with a 5-11 record instead of a possible shock playoff berth.
This is a fine-margin business.
And Bridgewater simply failed to deliver the goods when it mattered most.
Carolina is clearly looking in a different direction and they’ve also received some calls as to Bridgewater’s availability in a possible trade. Giving him a three-year, $63 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed doesn’t appear to be the smartest decision in the world, and the fact he’s not had his contract restructured in the current financial climate might indicate a potential move in on the horizon.
The Panthers are going to get some competition for Bridgewater, at the very least. But did they show their hand too early with a determined intent intent to find a more viable alternative?