The Panthers are making it clear that Sam Darnold is going to be their quarterback of the future. Carolina is acquiring the 23-year old quarterback from the Jets in exchange for multiple draft picks. So what does that mean for their current quarterback? It looks like a Teddy Bridgewater trade could occur soon.
Bridgewater is allowed to facilitate a trade in which he could go to a team of his choosing. Bridgewater is going to make 17 million dollars this upcoming season, so a transaction seems more likely than a restructured contract.
There aren�t a ton of places where he would be a guaranteed starter. Nevertheless, Bridgewater could make a lot of quarterback rooms more competitive come time for training camp. Plus, it will not take a lot of draft capital to acquire the 28-year-old quarterback. A mid-round pick should be enough to make a deal happen.
Let�s take a look at some of the places Teddy Bridgewater could be calling home for the 2021 season.
Denver Broncos
New Broncos� general manager George Paton was on the Vikings� front office staff when they selected Bridgewater back in 2014. There�s a chance those two could be reunited for the 2021 season.
It is unclear if Drew Lock is the quarterback moving forward, so Denver could add Bridgewater and then draft its quarterback of the future. Denver is rumored to trade up with Atlanta to take a quarterback with the fourth pick.
Chicago Bears
A solid player under center is what�s been holding the Bears back for the past couple of seasons. Trading up to draft Mitchell Trubisky didn�t work out, and neither did trading for Nick Foles and his massive contract.
The team is bringing in Andy Dalton to be their starter, but the team is still looking around the league if an upgrade becomes available.
It wouldn�t hurt to bring another veteran on to at least take a look at. If Bridgewater plays as he did in New Orleans, he could lead this Chicago team to the postseason. A Teddy Bridgewater trade could keep them in playoff contention and not hurt the team from a financial standpoint.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are expected to draft their quarterback of the future with the third overall pick. However, there are still question marks about who will be under center for this upcoming season.
San Francisco still has Jimmy Garoppolo, who they said they do not plan to trade. However, it is the NFL, and anything could happen. Garoppolo is set to make more than Bridgewater for this upcoming season by about seven million.
Bridgewater would be a cheaper option who brings similar production as Garopollo. He could step in and start right away and allow the 49ers to fully develop whichever quarterback they choose to draft later this month.
Bringing in a guy like Bridgewater could push Garopollo back to what he was when he first got to San Francisco. A little QB competition never hurts anybody.
Speaking of �Hurts,� let’s move onto the next team.
Philadephia Eagles
It looks like Jalen Hurts will be the guy moving forward, well, at least for this season anyway. The Eagles aren�t in a position to draft a top quarterback after trading down to the 12th overall pick. However, Philadelphia could look to bring a veteran into mentor Hurts and step into action if needed.
The Eagles are still in a position to compete in the NFC East. A 7-9 record could win that division and host a playoff game. Hurts could still be the guy for the future, but Bridgewater could be there just if they want a veteran to go in and get them a win. A Teddy Bridgewater trade could keep the Eagles in contention if Hurts is struggling.
We saw it last season in Miami. Tua Tagovailoa is the organization’s future, but coach Brian Flores was never scared to bring in veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick if Tua wasn�t playing well.
Carolina Panthers
There�s a chance a trade doesn�t go down, and Bridgewater fights for the starting job in training camp. Bridgewater is open to staying in Carolina if a trade can�t be found. However, if he is going to be the backup, the Panthers will have to restructure his contract.
No team will pay their backup 17 million per year. The Raiders are restructuring Marcus Mariota�s contract and allowing him to test free agency next season instead of trading him now. The Panthers might be in a position to do the same.
Bridgewater can still win the starting job. He�s not a bad quarterback, and it�s not like Darnold is coming to Carolina with a ton of success in the NFL. Yes, I know he played for the Jets and was the furthest from their problems. However, if Bridgewater stays, training camp is going to be interesting, to say the least.
