TAMPA BAY, Fla. (WBTV) – A former Carolina Panthers starting quarterback is expected to sign with the NFC South division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, according to a report.
Teddy Bridgewater — who started 15 games for Carolina in 2020 — visited the Buccaneers and was expected to then sign with the team, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
Schefter said Tampa Bay brought in Bridgewater because one of the team’s backup quarterbacks, Michael Pratt, has an injured back and was still on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as of Aug. 5.
With Bridgewater now expected to join the roster, the Buccaneers’ QB room will consist of Bridgewater, Pratt, Connor Bazelak, Kyle Trask and starter Baker Mayfield. It is likely that only two or three will make the 53-man, regular-season roster.
Bridgewater with the Panthers
The now 32-year-old spent his lone year with Carolina during the COVID-altered 2020 season.
In the 15 games he played for the Panthers, Bridgewater completed 69% of his passes for more than 3,700 yards with 15 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He added 279 rushing yards and five rushing scores.
Despite the solid numbers Bridgewater put up in Carolina, the Panthers were just 4-11 in games he started. He failed to lead a game-winning drive in eight tries and was traded to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2021 season. Carolina replaced him with Sam Darnold.
Teddy Bridgewater started 15 games for the Carolina Panthers during the 2020 season.(Reed Hoffmann | AP)
Since leaving the Panthers, Bridgewater has played for the aforementioned Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. Prior to joining Carolina, he played for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.
Bridgewater sustained a nearly career-ending knee injury in a 2016 preseason practice with Minnesota. He was healthy enough to throw two passes for the Vikings in 2017, then joined the Jets for the 2018 preseason but was traded to the Saints prior to the regular season and spent 2018 and 2019 as Drew Brees’ backup.
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Buccaneers QB room
A mid-training camp addition for Tampa Bay, Bridgewater is perhaps not a lock to make the 53-man roster.
Mayfield — another former Panthers quarterback — is the undisputed starter. Trask is entering his fourth year as a Buccaneers backup, and Pratt spent most of 2024 on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. Bazelak is an undrafted rookie who seems the most unlikely to make the team.
With most NFL teams rostering only two or three quarterbacks, only a couple spots are truly up for grabs. Mayfield will be on the team, and Trask also seems a likely candidate, leaving Bridgewater to battle with Pratt and Bazelak for a final quarterback spot.
Because Bridgewater is a respected veteran, though, Tampa Bay may have brought him in with the intent of keeping him all along. Had they just needed a “camp body,” it would perhaps have been easier to sign a smaller-name player.
Bridgewater is joining his newest team just in time for its first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, Aug. 9.
Baker Mayfield (6) is entering his third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.(Jason Behnken | AP)
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