Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has yet another new home, and he’s going to get a chance to show he can be an NFL starter.
The Carolina Panthers are finalizing a deal to sign Bridgewater as Cam Newton’s replacement, according to multiple reports. The deal will be for three years and $60 million, per ESPN.
Bridgewater, 27, will reunite with new Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and get his first chance to be a full-time starter since his 2015 Pro Bowl season with the Vikings following a devastating knee injury and several years as a backup.
He’ll get that chance because the Panthers are set to move on from Newton after nine years, seeking a trade partner amid a contentious divorce.
Bridgewater spent the last two seasons with the Saints as Drew Brees’ backup. In 2018, he overlapped with Brady, who was an offensive assistant in New Orleans from 2017-2018.
In 2019, Bridgewater filled in when Brees went down with a thumb injury in Week 2. Starting in five games (all wins) last season, Bridgewater threw for 1,384 yards and nine touchdowns with just two interceptions. The Saints have since re-signed Brees on a two-year deal worth $50 million and also have versatile QB Taysom Hill, who is a restricted free agent and expected to return to New Orleans.
Bridgewater, the No. 32 overall pick in the 2014 draft, began his career with the Vikings. He was a rising star in the league when he suffered a torn ACL and dislocated knee during training camp in 2016, forcing him to miss all of the following season and putting his career in jeopardy.
After returning to action in 2017, he signed with the Jets in 2018 and had a standout preseason before being traded to the Saints.