Four Trade Destinations for Teddy Bridgewater
On Monday the Carolina Panthers acquired quarterback Sam Darnold from the New York Jets, ending the Teddy Bridgewater era. After the trade, the Panthers told Bridgewater he could talk to other teams to try to facilitate a trade. With the NFL Draft just a few weeks away, it's becoming clear to some teams that they won't be able to get the rookie of their dreams. That's why the Panthers settled for Darnold and why Bridgewater should be able to find a new home. Here are are a few logical landing spots:
Chicago Bears
The Bears are still searching for a quarterback. Sorry, the Bears are perpetually searching for a quarterback. Even if they are tweeting they have QB1. Aaron Rodgers continues to tease them by merely existing. Russell Wilson remains a pipe dream. They don't have a good enough draft pick to get any of the top guys in the draft. A quarterback competition between Bridgewater and Dalton isn't ideal, but if one of them works out, the Bears wouldn't be in a horrible spot until they can acquire an elusive franchise quarterback.
Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson still wants out. The Texans still want to keep him. However, what either of those parties actually want might not matter as Watson is dealing with a slew of sexual assault allegations. There's no way to tell if Watson will be a part of the team this fall. If he is, Bridgewater would be a heck of a backup, as he was for Drew Brees in New Orleans when he went 5-0 in 2019.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but would Bridgewater be interested in going to a team where he would be the backup for an aging future Hall of Famer with the hope that he could take over when he retires? Ben Roethlisberger is coming back for one more season. Then he and his contact disappear and Bridgwater can take the Steelers into the future! Sounds good if he's willing to sit back and continue to wait, which probably isn't his dream scenario. The Steelers would probably be open to it, though.
Denver Broncos
Another team in search of a longterm solution. The Broncos have the ninth pick so they're going to miss out on the blue-chip quarterbacks. They've been involved in previous rumors and Drew Lock is still their presumptive starting quarterback. Bridgewater would not have to wait a year in Denver. He could play immediately. If that's his top priority, like it was when he was a free agent a year ago, Denver is as good a spot as any.