4 key observations from incredible Panthers Confidential

Carolina Panthers wanted to do right by Bridgewater

The Teddy Bridgewater gamble didn’t pay off and the Carolina Panthers finally admitted defeat when they acquired Sam Darnold from the New York Jets. This left them with a predicament regarding the former Louisville star, who was surplus to requirements but still owed a significant amount of money on his three-year, $63 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed.

Even though things didn’t go according to plan for Bridgewater, it was evident in Panthers’ Confidential that the team still wanted to do right by him.

As Matt Rhule stated in the documentary, they could have waited until June 1 to trade him. But they opted to part ways with Bridgewater quickly providing there was a willing partner, which they eventually found in the Denver Broncos.

After discussions between Scott Fitterer, Rhule, and David Tepper, the Panthers agreed to pay $7 million of Bridgewater’s salary in exchange for a sixth-round pick to get him off the books.

This was the best possible outcome in the grand scheme of things. But the organization’s decision to cut Bridgewater loose left a sour taste in the mouth of the player judging by his comments about Carolina’s practice methods.

That’s all part of the business. The Panthers were keen to do right by the player, which indicates lessons have been taken on board from their handling of the Cam Newton situation before his messy departure.