Panthers reportedly offered first-round pick, Teddy Bridgewater, and more for Matthew Stafford

Posted by Mike Florio on February 7, 2021, 2:00 PM EST
New Orleans Saints v Carolina Panthers
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The Panthers have made no secret of their desire to upgrade at the quarterback position. It was known that they’d tried to trade for Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. The full terms have now been revealed.

Via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the Panthers offered the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, and a fifth-round pick.

“Carolina still looking,” Schefter says at the end of his tweet. Perhaps more accurately “Carolina now hoping” someone sees Schefter’s report and calls the Panthers.

So take note, Houston Texans: Watson for Bridgewater plus picks? Or maybe Las Vegas Raiders. Or maybe Minnesota Vikings.

The Minnesota angle remains incredibly intriguing. If the Panthers wanted Stafford, why wouldn’t they want Kirk Cousins? And the Vikings could both get out of a delicate contractual corner with Cousins while bringing home the ultra-popular Bridgewater.

Bridgewater is signed through 2022, with a $17 million salary in 2021. Of that amount, $10 million is fully guaranteed.

Even without a quarterback-for-quarterback trade, Bridgewater clearly is available in trade. If nothing else, it raises an interesting question regarding whether the Saints would choose to bring Bridgewater back as the successor to Drew Brees.

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22 responses to “Panthers reportedly offered first-round pick, Teddy Bridgewater, and more for Matthew Stafford”

  2. If I’m the Vikings I do this in a heartbeat, draft a guy like Lance at 9 and transition Teddy into the backup role in 2022. My only concern is that the Vikings would find it difficult to move off of Teddy as I don’t feel he is a long-term solution due to his inability to throw downfield consistently.

  4. As a Vikings fan, really liked the time Teddy spent with the Vikes. He’s certainly a classy guy and a professional. However he’s nowhere near as good as Cousins. And Spielman has never been able to draft a QB that turned out to be anything special.
    If only the Vikes didn’t sign that extension with him last year. They’d be able to move on without losing any pics or cap space. They’re stuck with him until a better option comes along.

  5. Okay, so panthers are all in on a quarterback. Can’t trot out teddy after this news. Look for them to overpay for Darnold, Wentz or Mitch Tribuski

  6. If the Saints wanted to hand the keys to Bridgewater they would’ve told him and found a way to keep him last off season. I’d imagine Bridgewater’s cap hit last season would’ve been similar to Winston’s 1 year & Hill’s new deal combined.

  7. Goff plus two firsts and a third was a much better deal for the Lions. Its no wonder Carolina didn’t get Stafford.

  8. I wouldn’t trade a ham sandwich for Cousins. The only thing he’s good at is cashing his paycheck.

  10. yeti says:

    February 7, 2021 at 2:18 pm

    Okay, so panthers are all in on a quarterback. Can’t trot out teddy after this news. Look for them to overpay for Darnold, Wentz or Mitch Tribuski
    ———
    The Panthers had already publicly said that Bridgewater needed to improve and play better and that they evaluate every position. Besides that Bridgewater knew when he signed he was a stopgap qb for the Panthers and it was up to him to earn the job there or elsewhere with his play and although he may have toughed it out he didnt play well.

  11. Right. Stafford told the Lions he wanted to go to 1. LA, 2. San Francisco or 3. Indy in that order.
    The Lions chose to do Stafford a solid by sending him where he wanted to go rather than take the haul that would have helped the team the most. Time will tell if that was a smart move or not, but clearly Detroit doesn’t like being on pretty bad terms with Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson and didn’t want things to end on bad terms with Stafford.

  12. Tepper’s obviously not messing around and anxious to field a team that’ll make it to another SuperBowl.

  13. Since 2017, only Tom Brady has won more games than Jared Goff. Goff obviously had a falling out with the Rams, but he’s been a consistent winner, including a trip to the super bowl. The Lions probably had Goff rated much higher than Bridgewater. The elite QB’s are leading their teams deep into the playoffs and to Super Bowls. Second rate QB’s have very little chance of getting you to the super bowl. The Lions got an elite QB’s plus 2 first round picks and a 3rd. I would almost think Goff for Stafford, and nothing else would have worked, but the Lions had an offer they couldn’t refuse.

  14. Would love to see Vikings trade away Cousins exorbitant contract, bring back Teddy, and draft the future QB in the draft. but no way Spielman would do that. It makes too much sense.

  15. If Vikings get Carolina’s 1st rd pick for Cousins, then it’s a no brainer – hope that Wilson slips

  16. The Teddy Bridgwater feel good story that has been pushed for the last 2 years has gone off the tracks and is heading towards the bottom of a ravine.

    If you actually looked at how many passes he was completing and other QB metrics the Panthers never would’ve signed him. Put him on the stacked Saints team and he racked up wins despite not playing well and a fawning sports media earned him that contract.

  19. I’d much rather roll the dice with Goff than be forced to watch Bridgewater stink up the joint. The Panthers will be a much better team without him starting, whether it’s 2021 or 2022. I liked that guy from the XFL, forget his name. He beat the Lions with Stafford playing this year.

  20. I don’t get the Kirk Cousins hate either. Look at his numbers, he’s been a very solid QB for the Vikings. He’s been better than Stafford – if the Panthers can get him for the 8th pick they should do it. He’ll make that team a lot better.

  21. Here we are.. debating over a handful of so-so QBs
    …..meanwhile, HOF QB and HOF-trajectory QB are battling it out in the Superbowl, only for it to be won primarily by defense and a solid running game… I give up

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