For the second consecutive offseason, the Carolina Panthers have added a new starting quarterback to their roster.
On Monday afternoon, they agreed to acquire Sam Darnold from the New York Jets in exchange for three draft picks. Darnold, 23, is the presumed starter for the Panthers, and they will now look to build around him.
That leaves Teddy Bridgewater as the odd man out. Though he signed a three-year deal worth $63 million and $33 guaranteed during the 2020 offseason, the Panthers appear ready to move on from him despite the fact that he put up respectable numbers during the 2020 season (69.1 percent completion rate, 3,733 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns, and 11 interceptions).
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So, why are the Panthers looking to move on from Bridgewater? Tom E. Curran was joined by Joe Person of The Athletic to discuss that matter on the latest episode of the Patriots Talk podcast.
Next Pats Podcast: Making the case for Teddy Bridgewater to be the next Patriots QB | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Person, for one, didn't think that Bridgewater played badly last season. He said that the reason that Bridgewater was replaced boiled down to one thing.
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Tepper bought the Panthers from Jerry Richardson in May of 2018 and they have yet to post a winning record under Tepper's watch. After Bridgewater posted a 4-11 record in 15 starts, Tepper was ready to move on from him after just one year.
It also didn't help that Bridgewater hadn't fared well in late-game, clutch scenarios, as Person outlined.
"[This] came up in our Zoom with Tepper after he fired Marty Hurney. He didn't lay it all on Teddy, but he was talking about, at one point, the two-minute game," Person said. "This is a team that went 0-8 when they had a chance to tie the game or win it at the end.
"Not all of that should've been on Teddy's shoulders. But it was, and that was kinda the narrative that developed."
Still, Bridgewater set career-best marks in completion percentage (69.1), passing touchdowns (15), and passing yards (3,733) last season. If he can play better in late-game situations, perhaps he can improve his record. After all, he was 22-12 in 34 career starts before joining the Panthers.
Would a possibility to start and improve his record exist with the Patriots and their revamped supporting cast? That's something that was discussed on the podcast as a possibility and it's an idea that our own Phil Perry explored in a recent piece as well.
Check out the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube below: