Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers
Of the four signal callers on this list, Teddy is by far the least proven of the bunch, as everyone else has either won an MVP or a Super Bowl MVP in their lengthy careers. Bridgewater was a first-round pick in 2014 but suffered a near-career ending knee injury that led to the end of his tenure in Minnesota.
In his miraculous return to the field in 2018, he sat behind the NFL’s all-time leading passer in Drew Brees and eventually filled in as the started when Brees suffered a thumb injury. His 5-week audition for the rest of the league resulted in a perfect 5-0 record, further cementing the fact that he has fully returned to his previous Pro-Bowler self.
His stats in those five games won’t blow anyone away, including nearly 1,400 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions, but his ability to play the game manager role to perfection is what helped him find his new opportunity as the starter with the Panthers. Cam Newton was the franchise icon for nearly a decade due to his incomparable athleticism and domineering style of play, but injuries limited him drastically from 2018-2019.
His replacement, Kyle Allen, started out hot but ultimately threw 16 interceptions to only 17 touchdowns while the team failed to win a game in the final eight weeks of the year. Despite a bevy of talented playmakers on the team, the Panthers have had a fairly miserable two-year stretch.
That’s where Bridgewater can help to save the day, or at least serve as a bridge quarterback, ironically. Christian McCaffrey just churned out one of the most productive seasons ever for an all-purpose player and is likely to be the number one pick in fantasy drafts this year.
DJ Moore improved substantially to the tune of 1175 yards and 4 touchdowns, and standout deep threat Robby Anderson was recently added to the fold on a two-year deal. All that is expected of Teddy in Year 1 is to operate new head coach Matt Rhule’s offense efficiently and limit turnovers, which is what he’s done his entire career.
The Panthers are not projected to be a playoff team, but the former Louisville Cardinal should help his team’s win total by two or three games.
Prediction: 3,400 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 68% accuracy, 2 rushing touchdowns
