4 former Vikings who also spent time with the Panthers

Teddy Bridgewater – QB

Teddy Bridgewater is a name most Vikings fans hold dearly. But the story of what could have been follows the veteran quarterback around in his career, but started writing itself in the Twin Cities.

Bridgewater was a first-round draft pick by the Vikings in 2014, and in his first full-time year as a starter, Minnesota captured their first NFC North crown in six seasons. Due to a miss by kicker Blair Walsh, however, the Vikings were one-and-done in the playoffs that year.

In 2016, Bridgewater’s third, and season where many predicted the signal caller to break out, he suffered a knee injury that would keep him out of action until late 2017.

Moving on from Bridgewater to Kirk Cousins, the former signed with the New York Jets, but was traded to the New Orleans Saints. From there, Bridgewater found his first opportunity to be a full-time starter again, none other than with the Carolina Panthers.

Bridgewater had a career-high of 3,733 passing yards in the season, but he went 4-11 as a starter, and the Panthers looked elsewhere before the 2021 season. Bridgewater went on to be a starter in Denver in 2021, before settling in a backup role in Miami for the 2022 season.

Once a resource for Adam Thielen on the field, Bridgewater could find himself as a resource off the field as well in 2023. Giving pointers to Thielen as he gets accustomed to the new facility and new city he’ll move to in plans of having his own stint with Carolina.