Despite training camp being on the horizon, a few notable players are remaining on free agency that could help out a team in 2023. One of those players is quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Teddy Bridgewater spent last season with the Miami Dolphins as the backup to Tua Tagovailoa. It should have been a chance for him to improve his stock once again as Tagovailoa missed some time because of two documented head injuries. Unfortunately, any time Tagovailoa was sidelined, Teddy Bridgewater joined him.
But, the 2014 first-round pick shouldn’t be unemployed for long. Rick Speilman, who was part of the Minnesota Vikings front office that selected Teddy Bridgewater, surveyed the league’s landscape and pinpointed the Louisville product as a key free agent who should sign with a team sooner than later.
Where could he end up? In the opinion of Spielman, the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers would make the most sense. He shared his rationale with The 33rd Team.
“Everyone knows what Justin Herbert is capable of, but his backups with the Los Angeles Chargers are Easton Stick and rookie Max Duggan. God forbid Herbert got hurt. I don’t know if I would trust those two because this is such an important season for the Chargers.
The other team is the Green Bay Packers, who are starting the Jordan Love era. Behind him, they have rookie Sean Clifford, who they drafted in the fifth round but many viewed as a college free agent, and Danny Etling, who was a free agent from LSU a few years ago. Teams will be patient with their young quarterbacks, but don’t be surprised if one of these teams signs Bridgewater.”
A common theme exists between the Chargers and Packers; they have no experienced, reliable depth behind their starting quarterbacks. Between Easton Stick, Max Duggan, Danny Etling and Sean Clifford, one regular season pass has been attempted; Stick threw a four-yard completion in 2020 with the Chargers.
As we saw during the 2022 season, having a capable backup quarterback is imperative to a team. The San Francisco 49ers are a prime example as they made the NFC Championship Game despite Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo getting injured, forcing Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, into the starting role.
Should anything happen to Justin Herbert or Jordan Love that would force them to miss time, the Chargers and Packers’ seasons would effectively be over. At least with Teddy Bridgewater, they would know the offense is in capable hands to keep the team afloat until the starter can get back into the lineup.
Expect a deal to get done when training camp nears. Interest in Teddy Bridgewater has existed this offseason, as the Detroit Lions talked to him earlier in the offseason. If a starting job doesn’t open up, the Chargers and Packers both present good landing spots for Teddy Bridgewater, who can be an elite backup.
