Luke Kuechly weighs in on Teddy Bridgewater trade rumors
By Dean Jones
Luke Kuechly had his say on the ongoing trade rumors surrounding Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this offseason.
The situation regarding Teddy Bridgewater’s future has been an ongoing series of rumors that began almost immediately after the season came to a conclusion. His lack of production in critical moments was something that really cost the Carolina Panthers and it’s pretty clear that the organization isn’t going to sit around for more of the same in 2021.
There was a big push made by the Panthers to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions that had Bridgewater reportedly included as part of the package. But the Los Angeles Rams came in with a better offer and Carolina was back to square one.
Deshaun Watson’s name is being constantly linked with Matt Rhule’s men, although his current civil disputes would make things almost impossible to pull off any sort of trade with the Houston Texans until the matter is resolved.
At this stage, making a bold move up from No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft seems like the most probable outcome once the Jacksonville Jaguars pick Trevor Lawrence. It’s not going to be cheap, but this is the situation Carolina finds itself in after giving Bridgewater a three-year, $63 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed despite the fact he’d not made more than five consecutive starts since 2015.
It hasn’t been easy for Bridgewater this offseason, which probably gets overlooked in pursuit of something better. However, a Panthers legend recently had his say on the speculation linking the former first-round pick with a move away from the franchise just one year from signing his big-money deal.
Luke Kuechly has his say on Teddy Bridgewater’s future.
Luke Kuechly, who retired from the league following the 2019 campaign after eight sensational seasons in Carolina, spoke about the topic in the latest edition of Lindsay Czarniak’s podcast “The Artist and the Athlete” which also features 2020 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Luke Combs.
The perennial All-Pro has been around Bridgewater a lot over the last year in his role as a pro scout behind the scenes. Although Kuechly has been impressed by the player, he was keen to state that the NFL’s business-first mentality is something all professionals have to live with.
"Guys understand it’s a business. That’s the sort of cliche you hear all the time but every year teams are looking to replace guys whether it’s your position or somebody else’s. Things are pretty straightforward when you’re looking at trading a quarterback as it’s just one person playing the position. It can be hard to understand but it is a performance-based business."
Kuechly went on to say that he thought Bridgewater had taken some “undeserved flack” for the way things turned out in 2020 and that he was a “good dude who works super hard” in terms of his approach to preparation throughout the week leading up to gameday.
Working hard and doing all the right things is one thing. But turning this into outstanding production on the field is another matter entirely.
The writing is well and truly on the wall for Bridgewater, who will be on the shortest of leashes if he is somehow given a reprieve by the Panthers this offseason.
It will make for an awkward situation considering how aggressive Carolina has been looking for a potential replacement under center. But as Kuechly stated, Bridgewater must understand that when it’s all said and done, the NFL is a business and he’s not the first quarterback to deal with this.
Bridgewater has been around long enough to know how things work. How he responds this offseason and if he does get under center again in 2021 will ultimately define his legacy in Carolina.
You can listen to The Artist and The Athlete with Lindsay Czarniak featuring Luke Kuechly and Luke Combs here.