Whoever the next general manager of the Panthers is, they’ll have a lot of work to do. The team’s latest loss (their eighth in their last nine games) dropped them to 4-10 on the season and down to No. 28 in Touchdown Wire’s weekly NFL power rankings.
Most of the year their young defense has been the problem, but Carolina actually came through strong on that side of the ball in Green Bay. Now it’s the offense that’s raising all the wrong kinds of questions – like if they need to make a change at the most important position. Here’s Mark Schofield on the QB situation.
“Questions about the offense, and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, are sure to linger. Perhaps the most important play of the game was a fumble by Bridgewater on a 1st-and-goal attempted quarterback sneak midway through the second quarter. Bridgewater tried to leap over the pile and the football was punched out, and the Packers recovered. Green Bay would score a touchdown on their ensuing possession, a potential 14-point swing. With these questions swirling about Bridgewater, the likelihood that Carolina looks at a quarterback in the first round increases.”
The great conjunction that peaked last night is supposed to bring on important changes. Right now, it certainly looks like the stars are aligning against Bridgewater.
While he doesn’t quite have the gravity of a planet, team owner David Tepper’s opinion matters the most in the building and he seems to be souring on No. 5. His comments to the media following the news of Marty Hurney’s firing hinted that Bridgewater’s welcome has indeed been worn out.
David Tepper, on Teddy Bridgewater and QB position, says "unless you have that guy (at QB) that gets you to playoffs and the Super Bowl, you have to keep evaluating."
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 21, 2020
With their quarterback underperforming even modest expectations and a top-five pick possibly in the mix, there’s a real chance we will see the Panthers select a new franchise QB in the upcoming draft. Buckle up.
