Teddy Bridgewater is one of the many players going into free agency this offseason. As a hardworking, consistent passer there are plenty of teams looking to add him to their rosters. In this free agent profile, we will take a look at Bridgewater’s past and some possible landing spots for him.
Teddy Bridgewater Free Agent Profile
The former Louisville Cardinal was drafted 32nd overall in 2014 by the Minnesota Vikings. He 9,817 yards, 72 touchdowns, and a 68.4 completion percentage during his college years. In the pros, he captured another 7,652 yards, 38 touchdowns, and a 65.2 completion percentage. Bridgewater was on pace to become the next starting quarterback for the Vikings when a significant knee injury kept him out of the 2016 season and most of 2017. He was on pace to become Minnesota’s franchise quarterback when he got injured.
New Orleans Saints
Bridgewater is currently the backup quarterback behind Drew Brees, who announced on February 18 that he would be returning for the 2020 season. Bridgewater has played 14 games with the Saints. He threw for 1,384 yards, nine touchdowns, and 67.9% in the five games he took over for Brees in 2019. What this says is that the next team to land him will get a smart pro-bowl caliber quarterback with a good throwing arm.
If the Saints do lose Bridgewater, they’ll likely be fine for at least the 2020 season. They have Taysom Hill, who is a swiss army knife of a player and a dynamic quarterback. The only worry would be if Brees decides to retire at the end of the season. That would leave the Saints in a desperate spot at the quarterback position. They could look at trying to re-sign Bridgewater but according to Jerry Sigler, both Hill and Bridgewater could end up signing with other teams.
Possible Landing Spots for Bridgewater
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers agreed to part ways with Philip Rivers on February 10 ahead of free agency, according to Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports. The Chargers would be a good landing spot for Bridgewater because they come with plenty of weapons on their team already.
There’s Keenan Allen who has been Mr. Reliable the last three seasons with six touchdowns each year and a consistent 1,000 plus yards. They also have Mike Williams, who put up his first 1,000-yard season in 2019 and also averaged more than 20 yards per reception.
Bridgewater—an ideal free agent—going to the Chargers could be what this team needs to spark. With good offensive linemen around him to give him enough time to get the ball out and a stingy defense, they can find themselves in the AFC race in 2020.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers would be another possible fit for Bridgewater. This team is all about change right now which was made apparent when they fired Ron Rivera and hired former college coach, Matt Rhule. David Tepper has a plan for his team and it looks like that could include a new quarterback. It doesn’t seem like the Panthers want to pay Cam Newton $18.6 million next season. Bridgewater would be a great fit in this new system.
Curtis Samuel and Matt Moore would make for great targets with Bridgewater taking snaps. They are fast and great route runners and would be dangerous with the right quarterback. Newton was the 2015 MVP and dabbed his way to a super bowl appearance but a string of injuries have put into question if he is healthy.
Bridgewater is also younger than Newton and more accurate.
Christian McCaffrey would be another bonus for Bridgewater. He would be a building block for McCaffrey if the Panthers considered building a team around him.
Bridgewater would be a good pickup for the Panthers.
Chicago Bears
Nothing would make Chicago Bears fans happier than to upgrade from Mitchell Trubisky. No offense to North Carolina fans but he just doesn’t seem to have what the Bears need at quarterback. Bridgewater would be a nice upgrade. Trubisky threw for 3,138 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2019 but struggled in the pocket.
This is another team that has some pieces that would be a good fit for Bridgewater. Tarik Cohen, a stud out of North Carolina A&T is waiting for the right quarterback to help burst him onto the scene. He has yet to have a breakout season and Bridgewater could help with that. With Bridgewater at the helm, getting the ball to Cordarrelle Patterson or Anthony Miller would open up the playbook and the field for Cohen.
The Bears have also have a serious defense on their hands with Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, which could be attractive to Bridgewater.
In the End
There are a ton of teams who want to sign a quarterback like Bridgewater to their roster. The situation does have to be the right one though. Where Bridgewater signs will be up to what team offers him the best deal and who wants him to take their team to the next level.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
