Teddy Bridgewater Signing With Panthers, Colts Or Chargers
Teddy Bridgewater is signing with the Panthers, Colts or Chargers this offseason, it appears.
The salary he commands from one of those teams could be $30 million annually.
Bridgewater, 27, is coming off a very successful campaign with the New Orleans Saints.
When starting quarterback Drew Brees got hurt early in the year, Bridgewater stepped up and ensured that the Saints did not miss a beat.
After throwing just 23 passes one year earlier, Bridgewater drove his worth up dramatically in 2019.
While leading New Orleans to a 5-0 mark without Brees, Bridgewater threw for 1,384 yards and nine touchdowns on nearly 69 percent passing. Moreover, he also took care of the ball well – throwing a mere two picks in the process.
Thanks in large part to his strong play, Bridgewater enters free agency this summer with a lot of wind in his sails.
Brees’ return to New Orleans for one more season means that Bridgewater’s departure to greener pastures is inevitable.
The question now becomes: where will he go?
Recently, SportsLine released odds on likely landing spots for the 27-year-old.
Which team will Teddy Bridgewater be on Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season?
Panthers +200
Colts +300
Chargers +500
Bucs +700
Broncos +800
Bears +1000
Patriots +1500https://t.co/tnsGSvWrWaVia @SportsLine Oddsmakers pic.twitter.com/C8XDuT6Jtu
— SportsLine (@SportsLine) February 19, 2020
In the top spot is Carolina, at +200. The Panthers have made it no secret that they plan on moving on from Cam Newton over the next few months, so Bridgewater would make a ton of sense.
Neither Will Grier nor Kyle Allen have what it takes to be starters in the NFL, so Bridgewater would likely be brought in as a stopgap of sorts between the present and whatever quarterback of the future Carolina selects in the draft.
Indianapolis is listed at +300 to bring Bridgewater in. Obviously former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is the team’s first choice, but they would likely be more than happy to settle for Bridgewater.
It is fair to ask whether Bridgewater really brings a ton more to the table than Jacoby Brissett does, but that is obviously up to the Colts to decide.
The Chargers, meanwhile, are listed at +500. With Rivers now officially out, the team has a void at the starting quarterback spot. Again, Bridgewater would likely simply serve as a stopgap here between the present and whoever the franchise ultimately opts to take in the NFL Draft.
Rounding out the bottom of the list are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots.
Where will Bridgewater ultimately end up? We are about a month away from getting our answer once and for all.
Related: Panthers Trading Up In 2020 Draft To Pick Joe Burrow?
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
