Los Angeles Chargers Preparing To Sign Teddy Bridgewater
The Los Angeles Chargers are preparing to sign Teddy Bridgewater, it would appear.
Last week, New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees announced that he would be returning for one more season. While the news was obviously great for Saints fans, it created something of an odd predicament.
Heading into this offseason, all three of the quarterbacks on New Orleans’ roster are set to become free agents. Brees and Bridgewater are unrestricted, whereas Taysom Hill is restricted.
With Brees returning, the Saints will undoubtedly lock him up. Hill, seeing as he is a restricted free agent, will also almost certainly be retained. That leaves Bridgewater as the odd man out.
Although Saints management loves him and he seemed to be a natural fit on the roster, the salary he will end up commanding will be far too great for his current team to pay out.
That means he has to go elsewhere to get fair value.
One logical destination for the 27-year-old? Los Angeles.
With the Chargers announcing last week that they were parting ways with Philip Rivers, the team now has a vacancy at starting quarterback. Obviously Tom Brady is the dream get for that spot, but it is difficult to see a scenario where the best quarterback of all time leaves a winning situation in New England for a questionable one in LA.
More likely than not Brady is staying in New England. If he does, Bridgewater is the perfect piece to slide into the starting spot for the Chargers.
According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, Bridgewater has consistently been “attached” to the Chargers in various free agent conversations he has been having over the past few weeks.
Teddy Two Gloves rocking the bolt next year?⚡️ pic.twitter.com/cVKYPgDMdP
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 22, 2020
What that actually means remains to be seen.
Last season, when Brees got hurt, Bridgewater did an admirable job of stepping in for him. He led the Saints to an undefeated mark during that stretch and amassed nine touchdowns and two interceptions on 68 percent passing in the process.
Bridgewater will likely command something in the $24 to $30 million range annually, on what will presumably be a short term deal.
As good as he was in stepping in for Brees, it is difficult to see a scenario where any organization sees Bridgewater as something more than a bridge from now to whenever their quarterback of the future is ready to take over.
To date, the Chargers, Patriots (if Brady leaves), Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers have all been linked to Bridgewater in some capacity.
With free agency set to commence in mid-March, odds are that Bridgewater will sit on the sidelines for a bit and wait for players like Brady, Brees and Rivers to be snatched up by various teams.
From there, he will likely be able to name his price for whichever organizations find themselves without a quarterback heading into the 2020 season.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
