New Orleans Insider Floats Possible Teddy Bridgewater-Joe Brady Reunion With Panthers

Could the New Orleans Saints' backup quarterback be a potential successor to Cam Newton if the Carolina Panthers choose to move on from their franchise star this offseason?

With the Panthers hiring LSU passing game coordinator and former Saints assistant Joe Brady as their new offensive coordinator, it suddenly makes more than a little sense for Teddy Bridgewater to be on the Panthers' radar, notes Larry Holder of The Athletic.

I think there's a QB who's available this offseason that went undefeated in 2019 that might fit well in Carolina with Joe Brady and knows the Saints offense quite well.

Someone who could ride his bicycle to Bank of America Stadium ...
— Larry Holder (@LarryHolder) January 14, 2020

Bridgewater proved to be a capable starter for the Saints this season when superstar Drew Brees went down with a thumb injury. The former Louisville Cardinal stepped in a went 5-0 in Brees' absence, which is no small achievement.

Bridgewater and Brady have some history, as prior to becoming LSU's passing game coordinator this past year, Brady was an offensive assistant for the Saints. Bridgewater is notably similar to current LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in the sense that neither of them has a classic rifle arm, but can take care of the ball well and make proper decisions to win football games.

Rhule on his plans for Cam Newton: "Haven't had a chance to talk about long-term vision. I talked to Cam yesterday and I have the utmost respect for him and what he's done."
— Max Henson (@PanthersMax) January 8, 2020

The main thing that would preventing Bridgewater from becoming a Panther is Carolina's current situation with former MVP Cam Newton. Newly appointed head coach Matt Rhule has yet to decide what he wants to do with Newton given that the QB is coming off of an injury-riddled 2019 campaign as concerns grow about his long-term durability.

If Newton were to leave Carolina, then Bridgewater should be one of the top candidates to replace him, at least as a shorter-term option. It all comes down to what Rhule believes is best for the Panthers in the near future, but Brady's arrival is a real wild card that could help things come together.