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Bang. Another domino has fallen on the 2021 offseason, with the Carolina Panthers making a trade for embattled New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold; ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported details of the agreement, which sent draft picks in 2021 and 2022 from Carolina in exchange for Darnold.
Beyond the immediate repercussions — Darnold is expected to be the Panthers new starting quarterback, meaning he’ll see the Saints twice this season — this raises questions about his former teammate Teddy Bridgewater, who briefly wore green with him in New York before the Saints acquired him in their own trade.
Bridgewater’s 15-game stint as Carolina’s starter in 2020 was uninspiring, and he struggled to help one of the NFL’s worst rosters punch above its weight class. A change seemed inevitable, and with options thinning out in the draft, the Panthers instead brought in the 23-year old Darnold.
So could Bridgewater come back to New Orleans? Maybe, but not in a trade: any team that acquires Bridgewater will have to pay his $17 million base salary, which is well outside the Saints’ budget, to say nothing of how rare a deal between division rivals is these days. It’s possible he stays in Carolina to compete with Darnold (again) for the starting gig, but that feels unlikely. The Panthers can save more than $7.9 million by releasing Bridgewater after June 1, so it’s at least in their financial interest to move on.
The Saints are set up for a training camp battle between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, with Trevor Siemian rounding the depth chart. They’ve preferred to roster three quarterbacks in recent years to free up Hill’s multi-dimensional role, and Bridgewater’s time in New Orleans helped sell Winston on his own decision to wear black and gold. Adding another quarterback to the mix makes sense, if nothing else to make Siemian fight for his spot on the roster.
Both sides parted amicably when he signed with the Panthers, and there was a time when he was seen as a potential Drew Brees replacement. Sean Payton discussed each of his quarterbacks under Brees in an interview with the MMQB’s Albert Breer, including Bridgewater, whom he praised for modeling Brees’ work ethic and commitment to mastering the sport.
“The most important thing is leading this team, leading the offense to scores — protecting the football and scoring,” Payton said. “There are certain commandments that we think are real important. Both [Winston and Hill] have shown great leadership skills. Both of them have been very unselfish. It’s been a really good room here for a while, even back when Teddy was in the room. The rest of it will take care of itself. Obviously, it’s on us to give these guys the best stuff that we feel like they can execute and allow them to play.”
You just have to wonder whether Bridgewater could reach an agreement with the Saints. Between the scant salary cap resources involved and the potential opportunity — would Bridgewater have a real shot in throwing his hat into the ring with Winston and Hill? — it might seem far-fetched.
But, hey. You never know what tomorrow brings in the NFL. Maybe there’s a scenario where Bridgewater becomes available and the Saints hurry to bring him back to New Orleans as a veteran starter who, just like the options already in the building, knows the system well and has won games in it. One thing’s certain: it would be a great story.
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