3 things that must happen before Teddy Bridgewater is traded
By Dean Jones
Teddy Bridgewater needs to restructure his contract
One of the main complications regarding trading Teddy Bridgewater is from a financial standpoint. The quarterback is set to make a base salary of $17 million in 2021 – which is far too much for a backup. So some common ground needs to be found to make acquiring him a more enticing proposition.
The Carolina Panthers could take on some of his guaranteed money as part of a contract restructure, which is something the Denver Broncos are reportedly looking for according to Mike Klis of 9News. It’s going to cost the organization $20 million in dead-cap money to release their marquee free-agent signing last season and $15 million if they decide to cut him loose after June 1, which doesn’t appear feasible in the current climate and with just $16.85 million in salary-cap space remaining, according to Spotrac.
Bridgewater also needs to be a willing party in these negotiations. Not restructuring his contract when the Panthers were cost-cutting prior to free agency would indicate the relationship between the player and those in power isn’t the best currently. So it might be a case of swallowing his prize and moving on.
It appears this is absolutely essential for any trade to happen.
Teams saw Bridgewater’s production with their own eyes in 2020. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he might not be worth the big money coming his way next time around.