Report reveals why Panthers looking to move on from Teddy Bridgewater
By Adam Patrick
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater could potentially be looking for his third team in three years this offseason.
No one would have been shocked if Teddy Bridgewater never played again after suffering a freak leg injury back when he was with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016.
But Bridgewater never gave up hope, and after spending over a year recovering from his injury, he’s been able to continue his career as a quarterback in the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers selected the former Vikings signal-caller to be their starter before the start of the 2020 season, and it seemed like he had a chance to be successful. But the Panthers were only able to win four games with Bridgewater starting under center, and now it sounds like his time with the franchise is already nearing the end.
Carolina Panthers reportedly looking to part ways with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback
The 2020 campaign didn’t turn out the way Carolina had hoped with Bridgewater as their starter, and it doesn’t seem like they’re looking to give him another chance next season.
The Panthers are reportedly “looking to move on,” from the former Minnesota passer and it’s due to his “physical limitations,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Monday.
It’s hard to feel surprised with this report considering the severity of the injury Bridgewater suffered in 2016. It’s clear that he’s probably just never going to get back to playing at the high level he displayed at times during his tenure with the Vikings.
Carolina will need to get creative if they want to get rid of the 28-year-old quarterback before next season though.
Cutting Bridgewater would result in $20 million in dead cap for the Panthers this year, so this seems unlikely. Trading him would be the only way to move on from him without enduring a big financial hit as a deal with another team would free up almost $13 million in cap space for Carolina.
But who is going to trade for Bridgewater after a season where he just went 4-11 as a starter? If teams are interested in acquiring him, they would probably want him to be their backup or a placeholder at best. His cap hit in 2021 (almost $18 million) is likely too high for most teams to consider a trade, even if they have some interest.
So as much as the Panthers would like to end their relationship with Bridgewater after only a year, it’s going to be difficult to find anyone that is willing to take him off of their hands.