Bill Feig/Associated Press
In most seasons, with most quarterbacks, a 26-year-old signal-caller with 29 career starts who has led a team to the playoffs would be one of the most coveted free agents on the market.
But this is no normal quarterback. This is Teddy Bridgewater. And while Bridgewater will still be one of the more sought-after free agents at the position this spring, there's also no doubt Bridgewater's the riskiest of this year's higher-end options under center.
Back in 2015, Bridgewater looked to be ascending the ranks of the NFL's young quarterbacks. His stats weren't eye-popping (3,231 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, nine interceptions), but Bridgewater went 11-5 as the starter in Minnesota and got the Vikings into the postseason.
Then, of course, the bottom fell out. Bridgewater suffered a gruesome leg injury in training camp the following summer that could have
cost him his life. The 2014 first-round pick missed all of the 2016 season and attempted only two passes in 2017—both in mop-up duty against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2018, Bridgewater signed as a free agent with the New York Jets, only to be summarily shipped to New Orleans. Sitting behind
Drew Brees, Bridgewater again barely played—although he did start in Week 17 when the Saints rested their starters.
The results of that start were less than impressive, although they did come with second-stringers. But it reinforced the reality that we haven't seen Bridgewater play effectively in the NFL for over three years.
At this point, it's fair to wonder if we ever will again.