The Panthers signed Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year, $63 million deal this offseason, cementing him as their new starter in the post Cam Newton era. Just how committed are they to Bridgewater as their QB1, though?
According to a ranking by ESPN of how married each NFL team is to their starter, Carolina’s partnership with Bridgewater is No. 14 in the league. That puts them in the “clock is ticking” category. Here’s what they said about this particular relationship.
“Bridgewater is making $23 million this year, counting his $15 million signing bonus, and has $10 million of his $17 million 2021 salary fully guaranteed. That doesn’t mean it would keep Carolina from drafting a franchise quarterback of the future next year if Bridgewater flops and the team has a high draft pick. It does give Bridgewater at least some security and makes it so the Panthers don’t have to look for a QB on next spring’s market.”
Anything can happen if Bridgewater bombs during the 2020 season or if he suffers another serious injury. However, based on the way his deal is structured, he should have at least two years to prove himself before it’s easy for the team to move on.
After the 2021 season, the Panthers can release Bridgewater and save $21 million in salary cap room. It would come with a $5 million dead money penalty. However, if the team has settled on a new franchise QB at that point they’d likely take that trade-off.
Those hoping for a tank-for-Trevor Lawrence situation probably shouldn’t get their hopes up, though. While Carolina’s outlook for 2020 is bad, there are some teams who look even worse and it’s unlikely Bridgewater is going to completely fail. If nothing else, he is an excellent fit for offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Bridgewater’s numbers and performance won’t blow anybody away. He is not going to sink his team’s chances to win games the way a Kyle Allen or Mitch Trubisky do, though.
All that being said, if the Panthers were truly convinced that Bridgewater could carry their franchise as long as he can stay healthy they would have given him more than three years. Bridgewater is the man right now but this is the definition of a bridge quarterback situation.
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