New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is one of the most-fascinating stories to track in the 2019 free agency signing period. The former Minnesota Vikings starter is years removed from his career-threatening leg injury, but just 26 years old. He’s got plenty of football ahead of him.
But with teams like the Miami Dolphins offering starting gig while the Saints can only promise something later on down the line, Bridgewater may end up being a one-and-done acquisition for the Saints. Bridgewater, a Miami native, was connected to his hometown team in a piece penned by Pro Football Focus staffers for ESPN Insider:
Bridgewater didn’t get any real playing time in the 2018 regular season, but he did light up the preseason to the tune of an 80.9 overall grade, which ranked eighth out of 94 qualifying quarterbacks. He showed enough to prove that he’s over his leg injury and can still become a great quarterback in the NFL. The last time he had significant regular-season action was in 2015, when he finished with the 12th-best passer rating when kept clean (102.5) out of 38 qualifying quarterbacks. If he can reach his pre-injury form, the Dolphins would have a quarterback with loads of potential.
As noted in the writeup, fans should give more consideration to the quality tape Bridgewater put up in the preseason than in a Week 17 game surrounded by guys signed off the street. For what it’s worth, Deuce Windham of the Athletic found some positives to take away from that otherwise-forgettable regular season finale.
The Saints would likely enjoy keeping Bridgewater around. But with other teams like Miami on the prowl for a new starter, it could be tough to hold onto him.
