In his Twitter biography, new Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater refers to himself as "The Neighborhood Hope Dealer."
And for a team that could use a lot of hope, in a year that could use a lot of hope, that's not a bad thing.
We are just starting to get familiar with Bridgewater, but I like what little I've seen from him so far. He appears thoughtful, persistent and, as head coach Matt Rhule said, "eaten up with the game."
That doesn't mean Bridgewater is unaware of the world's larger issues. The quarterback said Monday that he is "leaning toward kneeling" this year during the national anthem to support the "Black Lives Matter" movement. He also mentioned that he had been able to reach out to the family of George Floyd _ a Black man who was killed in Minnesota in May while in police custody _ and "do some things for them."
Bridgewater, 27, was signed to a three-year, $63-million deal by the Panthers in March to replace Cam Newton, the one-time franchise quarterback the team released almost simultaneously. Newton, who directed the Panthers for most of the past nine years, has since signed with New England.
While Newton had the personality, charisma and occasional churlishness of a Broadway star, Bridgewater's personality seems to be more like that of an air-traffic controller.
"Steady Teddy," as he's sometimes called, believes it is his job to keep the flights running smoothly, no matter what. He will lead. He will give orders when necessary. There will be no doubt who's in charge in the huddle. But it's going to be a quiet sort of leadership unless something starts to go seriously wrong.
