The New Orleans Saints lost backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Carolina Panthers, with the 27-year-old passer expected to sign a three-year, $63 million contract as a free agent. ESPN’s Dan Graziano first reported the details on Bridgewater’s agreed-upon deal.
Carrying a $15 million signing bonus and $40 million in guarantees over the first two years, Bridgewater will also earn base salaries of $8 million in 2020, $17 million in 2021, and $20 million in 2022. He also has the typical workout and roster bonuses you’ll find in most NFL contracts.
A $21 million annual take is a nice payday for Bridgewater, and it will qualify the Saints for a third-round draft pick in 2021 should they remain quiet in free agency. That would replace the 2018 draft pick traded away to acquire him, bringing things full-circle. For added symbolism, Bridgewater will play against the Saints twice a year for NFC South-rival Carolina.
What’s interesting about the contract’s structure is that the Panthers can get out of it as soon as 2021 if they really want to, though cutting Bridgewater next offseason would only save $3 million against the salary cap. But if the Panthers make a move for a quarterback prospect in next month’s draft and think they offer a better chance to win than Bridgewater, a pathway out of this deal has been drawn up in case they need it.
