If Bridgewater Struggles, Then What?

What will the Panthers do if Teddy Bridgewater has a down year?

As the Panthers get set to usher in a new era and brand of football in the Queen City, many are debating Teddy Bridgewater's future and he's yet to play a down in the blue and silver.

Is he a "bridge" quarterback? Is he the guy of the future? Is he a complete bust? These are all questions that fans are asking ahead of the 2020 season. 

Although we haven't seen Bridgewater in a full-time starter's role since 2015, he has all the intangibles to be "the guy". He won at Louisville. He won in Minnesota. And he won in New Orleans when filling in for Drew Brees. When you are in the midst of a rebuild, you need to have guys across the entirety of the roster that having a winning mentality - Bridgewater has exactly that. 

Last month, Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady talked about the player that Carolina is getting in Bridgewater and how he was able to learn from him.

"I was an offensive assistant, so it gave me an opportunity to get some extra time with Teddy and go through stuff with him and be able to teach as a coach so that was a huge development for me. But also getting an opportunity to know Teddy and understand how he thinks," Joe Brady explained. "I knew what we had in Teddy Bridgewater, I know the type of winning football he is going to play, so I'm excited for him to be able to finally do that again."

When it comes to leading a franchise, Brady has no doubt whatsoever that Bridgewater can be that guy.

"He makes everybody better," Brady said regarding Bridgewater. "He lights up the room, he's intelligent. His football IQ is through the roof. When we have a day like this, we're like 'Teddy, you're running the meetings.' I think that's critical having a guy that understands a good amount of the system and what we're doing, but also has an idea of football and being able to explain it and teach it to others."

I'm in agreeance with everything that Brady says, but what happens if Bridgewater struggles and struggles big time? Who do the Panthers turn to then?

Depending on the situation, I'll have a different answer. If the team is still remaining competitive and hanging around a .500 record, you keep Bridgewater in and hope that he eventually finds his way out of the funk. If the team is dropping games left and right and quickly eliminate themselves from playoff contention, you insert Will Grier. 

I know, it's probably not the answer that you want but at that point, does it really matter? Plus, you have to see what you have in Grier, if anything. Has he taken a big step in his development as a quarterback? Or is he showing a similar resemblance to his rookie outings? Regardless, you have to give him a chance before moving on. After all, he is a third round selection.

One may argue that you should insert P.J. Walker, but the former XFL star isn't being paid $60 million plus and isn't a third round pick. Ideally, the Panthers will ride out Bridgewater as long as possible and give him a rather long leash. With the amount of money they threw at him, it's hard not too. As talented as Walker may be, he should be the Panthers last resort in 2020. If none of the three quarterbacks separate themselves, then we could be talking about the Panthers in search of a new signal caller in the 2021 draft.

What do you think the Panthers should do if Teddy Bridgewater were to struggle in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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