3 glaring problems if Teddy Bridgewater isn’t traded in 2021
By Dean Jones
Fan support
The Carolina Panthers have a loyal fanbase who follow the team through thick and thin, through the good times and the bad. They have had to put up with some awful football during their 26-year history and enjoyed plenty of good times along the way. But it’s clear that supporters are getting sick and tired of languishing in mediocrity.
Their patience has work thin over the last year, which is down in no small part to the team’s treatment of Cam Newton when he was shown the door at a time when there were few starting options available. This is a player that Carolina fans worshipped from the moment he arrived as the No. 1 overall selection in 2011 out of Auburn and Teddy Bridgewater’s lack of production when it mattered most only made things worse where this decision was concerned.
This offseason has seen plenty of frenzied excitement at the prospect of landing Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans or somebody with incredible talents such as Trey Lance or Justin Fields. Sam Darnold is a consolation prize to some, of that there is little doubt. But considering their thoughts on Bridgewater, they should give their new acquisition the chance to shine before passing judgment.
Not having fans in the stands due to COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise for Bridgewater. But this is a luxury he won’t enjoy next season if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has his way and he may even be sitting on the sidelines to take it all in.
A toxic atmosphere at Bank of America Stadium next season is not going to do anybody any favors. Bridgewater’s presence might complicate matters in that sense, which is why it’s probably best both parties went their separate ways.