Panthers Teddy Bridgewater lacks tools of the best NFL franchise QBs ... And that’s OK
The first time Joe Brady knew Teddy Bridgewater was a franchise quarterback wasn’t when he went 5-0 as a starter in New Orleans last year while Drew Brees was injured.
Nor was it when he signed a three-year $63 million deal to become the quarterback of the Carolina Panthers.
Brady said he knew in 2018, when he was an offensive assistant for the Saints and Bridgewater was his backup quarterback.
The two worked together regularly, traded notes, studied the offense and worked on game plans.
Bridgewater going 5-0 when Brees was out only solidified that, Brady, now the Panthers’ offensive coordinator, said Thursday.
“You saw a quarterback that played confident, executed the game plan that they presented for him, and he found ways to win football games,” Brady said. “And at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing for a quarterback.”
The declaration of a quarterback as a “franchise quarterback,” comes with a lot of weight. It signifies that the team believes in him, which the Panthers do. And it also comes with the expectation that he is to win games.
Whether Bridgewater is a franchise quarterback and the future of the Carolina Panthers will undoubtedly follow him the rest of this contract, or until the Panthers make a decision on whether to re-sign him.
Still, not everyone is sold on that idea.
Bridgewater is seventh in the league in passing yards (2,552), second in completion percentage (72.1%), and 13th in passer rating (98.1). He’s had games where he’s had to carry his team, like against New Orleans.
He’s also had games where he has struggled, like in both games against Tampa Bay.
The biggest stat staring at Bridgewater and his “franchise quarterback” designation is the Panthers’ 3-7 record, though.
Carolina has struggled in the final few minutes of games to score game-winning touchdowns, often settling for long field goals that have no chance, or throwing game-ending interceptions.
To be fair to Bridgewater, his defense has struggled and the offensive line has not been consistent. It’s also his first year with the Panthers, where the offseason was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked what gives him confidence that Bridgewater is a franchise quarterback, Brady said he saw in New Orleans how his teammates respected him. He sees that with the Panthers as well.
“He has this locker room, he has this organization,” Brady said. “Everybody on this football team believes in him, and he goes out there and executes. I fully expect Teddy Bridgewater to continue doing this the rest of the season and his career as a Carolina Panther.”
Bridgewater is an accurate passer, but he isn’t flashy. He can’t run like Arizona’s Kyler Murray, or Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. His arm isn’t as strong as Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes or Seattle’s Russell Wilson. He likely won’t ever be a MVP.
But he doesn’t have to have those qualities to be considered a franchise quarterback. He has the talent to be a consistent Pro Bowl quarterback. He just needs to be a consistent winner.
He showed that briefly in New Orleans. He can still show that here.
— Jonathan M. Alexander
Required reading
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+ Podcast: McCaffrey is out, and Teddy Bridgewater’s status is uncertain. Time to panic?
+ Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey’s shoulder injury is to AC joint. Here’s what that means
+ What Matt Rhule said about potentially sitting Panthers CB Donte Jackson to rest his toe
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 9:31 PM.
