The Panthers traded for Sam Darnold yesterday. They gave up three draft picks, including a second-rounder, and say they'll pick up Darnold's fifth-year option, so this isn't just a casual look-see, nor is it competition for Teddy Bridgewater or a top-10 draft pick. Darnold will be their starter this season, and Bridgewater will be out in the cold.
Various reports post-trade indicate that Carolina will attempt to trade Bridgewater, or adjust his contract. You think? Bridgewater's cap number for 2021 is $23 million. Nobody is paying that much for a backup quarterback this season, and there don't appear to be any teams looking to fill their starting quarterback spot with Bridgewater. It's kind of harsh, but the contract Carolina gave him a year ago looked like a mistake at the time, and here we are. One year into it the Panthers decided they were betting off trading three draft picks for Darnold than seeing another year of Bridgewater leading the offense.
Nobody has much bad to say about Bridgewater. He did a great job filling in for Drew Brees a couple years ago, and he did his part in a couple of high-scoring shootouts for Carolina last season. But as both an NFL quarterback and a fantasy one, he's been marginal, and nobody is going to bring him in as anything more than a veteran backup (which means Carolina is likely going to wind up releasing him -- no one is taking on Bridgewater's contract).
Where Bridgewater has been particularly disappointing is in terms of throwing touchdowns. And this is not a recent development. He's appeared in 59 career games, with 49 starts, and thrown all of 53 touchdown passes. Twice in his career, including last year, he's started almost the entire season (14-plus games) and averaged just 1 or fewer touchdown passes. That's happened 53 times this century (2-3 times per year), and Bridgewater has two of those seasons.
QBS AVERAGING 0-1 TD PASSES, 2000-PRESENT (14-PLUS STARTS) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | St | Com | Att | Yds | TD | Int | TD/St |
2020 | Teddy Bridgewater, Car. | 15 | 340 | 492 | 3733 | 15 | 11 | 1.0 |
2017 | Tyrod Taylor, Buff. | 14 | 263 | 420 | 2799 | 14 | 4 | 1.0 |
2016 | Carson Wentz, Phil. | 16 | 379 | 607 | 3782 | 16 | 14 | 1.0 |
2016 | Alex Smith, K.C. | 15 | 328 | 489 | 3502 | 15 | 8 | 1.0 |
2011 | Tarvaris Jackson, Sea. | 14 | 271 | 450 | 3091 | 14 | 13 | 1.0 |
2008 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 16 | 265 | 434 | 3440 | 16 | 11 | 1.0 |
2006 | Alex Smith, S.F. | 16 | 257 | 442 | 2890 | 16 | 16 | 1.0 |
2006 | Steve McNair, Balt. | 16 | 295 | 468 | 3050 | 16 | 12 | 1.0 |
2005 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 15 | 214 | 387 | 2412 | 15 | 13 | 1.0 |
2004 | David Carr, Hou. | 16 | 285 | 466 | 3531 | 16 | 14 | 1.0 |
2003 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 16 | 275 | 478 | 3216 | 16 | 11 | 1.0 |
2000 | Steve McNair, Ten. | 15 | 248 | 396 | 2847 | 15 | 13 | 1.0 |
2009 | David Garrard, Jac. | 16 | 314 | 516 | 3597 | 15 | 10 | 0.9 |
2008 | David Garrard, Jac. | 16 | 335 | 535 | 3620 | 15 | 13 | 0.9 |
2008 | Jake Delhomme, Car. | 16 | 246 | 414 | 3288 | 15 | 12 | 0.9 |
2001 | Doug Flutie, S.D. | 16 | 294 | 521 | 3464 | 15 | 18 | 0.9 |
2001 | Vinny Testaverde, NYJ | 16 | 260 | 441 | 2752 | 15 | 14 | 0.9 |
2012 | Brandon Weeden, Cle. | 15 | 297 | 517 | 3385 | 14 | 17 | 0.9 |
2004 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 15 | 181 | 321 | 2313 | 14 | 12 | 0.9 |
2000 | Jay Fiedler, Mia. | 15 | 204 | 357 | 2402 | 14 | 14 | 0.9 |
2000 | Jake Plummer, Ariz. | 14 | 270 | 475 | 2946 | 13 | 21 | 0.9 |
2015 | Teddy Bridgewater, Min. | 16 | 292 | 447 | 3231 | 14 | 9 | 0.9 |
2008 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 16 | 257 | 428 | 2971 | 14 | 12 | 0.9 |
2005 | David Carr, Hou. | 16 | 256 | 423 | 2488 | 14 | 11 | 0.9 |
2001 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 16 | 266 | 442 | 3109 | 14 | 11 | 0.9 |
2017 | Marcus Mariota, Ten. | 15 | 281 | 453 | 3232 | 13 | 15 | 0.9 |
2017 | Jacoby Brissett, Ind. | 15 | 276 | 469 | 3098 | 13 | 7 | 0.9 |
2012 | Mark Sanchez, NYJ | 15 | 246 | 453 | 2883 | 13 | 18 | 0.9 |
2008 | JaMarcus Russell, Oak. | 15 | 198 | 368 | 2423 | 13 | 8 | 0.9 |
2000 | Charlie Batch, Det. | 15 | 221 | 412 | 2489 | 13 | 15 | 0.9 |
2011 | Blaine Gabbert, Jac. | 14 | 210 | 413 | 2214 | 12 | 11 | 0.9 |
2010 | Matt Hasselbeck, Sea. | 14 | 266 | 444 | 3001 | 12 | 17 | 0.9 |
2008 | Jason Campbell, Was. | 16 | 315 | 506 | 3245 | 13 | 6 | 0.8 |
2004 | Kyle Boller, Balt. | 16 | 258 | 464 | 2559 | 13 | 11 | 0.8 |
2001 | Brad Johnson, T.B. | 16 | 340 | 559 | 3406 | 13 | 11 | 0.8 |
2009 | Mark Sanchez, NYJ | 15 | 196 | 364 | 2444 | 12 | 20 | 0.8 |
2008 | Kerry Collins, Ten. | 15 | 242 | 415 | 2676 | 12 | 7 | 0.8 |
2001 | Jon Kitna, Cin. | 15 | 313 | 581 | 3216 | 12 | 22 | 0.8 |
2020 | Daniel Jones, NYG | 14 | 280 | 448 | 2943 | 11 | 10 | 0.8 |
2008 | Trent Edwards, Buff. | 14 | 245 | 374 | 2699 | 11 | 10 | 0.8 |
2013 | Geno Smith, NYJ | 16 | 247 | 443 | 3046 | 12 | 21 | 0.8 |
2012 | Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 16 | 282 | 484 | 3294 | 12 | 13 | 0.8 |
2017 | DeShone Kizer, Cle. | 15 | 255 | 476 | 2894 | 11 | 22 | 0.7 |
2008 | Marc Bulger, St.L. | 15 | 251 | 440 | 2720 | 11 | 13 | 0.7 |
2001 | Chris Weinke, Car. | 15 | 293 | 540 | 2931 | 11 | 19 | 0.7 |
2001 | Tony Banks, Was. | 14 | 198 | 370 | 2386 | 10 | 10 | 0.7 |
2006 | David Carr, Hou. | 16 | 302 | 442 | 2767 | 11 | 12 | 0.7 |
2003 | Drew Bledsoe, Buff. | 16 | 274 | 471 | 2860 | 11 | 12 | 0.7 |
2006 | Brad Johnson, Min. | 14 | 270 | 439 | 2750 | 9 | 15 | 0.6 |
2007 | Vince Young, Ten. | 15 | 238 | 382 | 2546 | 9 | 17 | 0.6 |
2005 | Kyle Orton, Chi. | 15 | 190 | 368 | 1869 | 9 | 13 | 0.6 |
2002 | David Carr, Hou. | 16 | 233 | 444 | 2592 | 9 | 15 | 0.6 |
2020 | Cam Newton, N.E. | 15 | 242 | 368 | 2657 | 8 | 10 | 0.5 |
Three quarterbacks did it in 2020 (those players are in bold). The Giants will give Daniel Jones another year in the lineup, as New England will apparently do with Cam Newton. But the Panthers will move on from Bridgewater. There will probably be some interest in him as a veteran backup and locker-room guy. But not at his 2021 salary.
As an aside, Carolina is saying they could still draft a quarterback in the top 10 this year. OK. That's what I'd say too. It's not happening. Maybe next year, if Darnold doesn't take a big step up this year, but that's about it.
--Andy Richardson