Teddy Bridgewater May Be Heading Westward
Dustin Baker
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Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is damn near an NFL orphan. The moment that the New York Jets sent 23-year-old Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers, Bridgewater’s employment as a starting quarterback in North Carolina was kaput. In fact, the trade rumor mill swarmed instantly as the Panthers are forecasted to deal Bridgewater elsewhere.
Wherever he lands, Bridgewater will simultaneously become one of the NFL’s best backup quarterbacks. He authored 20 total touchdowns in 15 games during 2020, so Bridgewater is the type of signal-caller that can be semi-productive in spots.
For now, though, the perception of Bridgewater is not that of a starting quarterback as it was in 2015 or even last offseason.
Insert the Denver Broncos — or so says Albert Breer of SI.com.
Denver is not wholeheartedly married to soon-to-be third-year quarterback, Drew Lock. The Missouri alumnus was drafted in 2019, displayed some promising playing time late in his rookie campaign, and then struggled mightily during the pandemic season. Now, former Vikings lieutenant, George Paton, is the boss man out west, and nobody really knows what his temperature is on the QB1.
But we will find out. Denver holds the ninth pick in the upcoming draft, assuring them awkward positioning for quarterbacks. The Broncos basically need a man like Justin Fields or Trey Lance to “fall” their way — inside of a draft where quarterbacks are supposed to ascend, not descend the draft pecking order.
Should Paton agree to give Lock one more look in 2021, well, he will likely want some competition to bring out the best in the 24-year-old. And that man could feasibly be Bridgewater. Paton does know Bridgewater. Paton was general manager Rick Spielman’s protégé when the Vikings drafted Bridgewater in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Breer of SI.com says of Bridgewater and the Broncos:
“Well, my sense is that Paton and coach Vic Fangio want to add competition for Drew Lock at the position. That could come via a trade for someone like Teddy Bridgewater, who Paton was a part of drafting, it could come early in the draft or it could come later. But this much is clear—we mentioned this in my first mock draft a few weeks ago and in a few other places—Denver isn’t sitting still at the position like it did a year ago in going all-in on Lock. And that to me is a pretty decent sign that John Elway has truly moved into the background.”
The only clue that can be seized from Breer’s musings is that Lock does not have the 100% backing of the organization. Sure, they hope he will transform himself in Year Three. But Paton evidently is not banking on it.
Bridgewater is a very reasonable Plan B if Lock collapses.
Other teams linked to a QB2 relationship with Bridgewater for 2021: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers.