5 winners and losers from Panthers trade for Sam Darnold

Teddy Bridgewater – Carolina Panthers QB

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way. Nobody will be more detrimentally impacted by the arrival of Sam Darnold than Teddy Bridgewater, who appears to be heading out of the door if the Carolina Panthers can find a willing suitor.

This is something they’ve been trying to find throughout the offseason and had the Los Angeles Rams not came in with a better offer for Matthew Stafford, Bridgewater would be on the Detroit Lions. It wasn’t ever likely the Houston Texans were going to take on his contract as part of a Deshaun Watson deal, which the Panthers rightfully moved on from considering the current situation surrounding the player.

General manager Scott Fitterer stated in his press conference that he’s already spoken to Bridgewater’s agents to work out the best way forward “whether that’s here or somewhere else”.

Spoiler alert – it will be somewhere else.

Bridgewater simply didn’t do enough to be considered a viable long-term option and the Panthers made absolutely no secret of their desire to find another alternative. Whether the former Louisville standout was dealt a poor hand or not is a moot point at this juncture and if he wants to instigate a move away from Carolina after just one season, the player’s contract needs to be restructured to make it a more enticing proposition for a willing suitor.