Report: Patriots have interest in Teddy Bridgewater

The New England Patriots officially have a vacancy at their starting quarterback spot for the first time in two decades, and they are open to the idea of making a big splash in free agency to fill it.

The Patriots and Carolina Panthers both have interest in signing Bridgewater, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.

The #Panthers have interest in QB Teddy Bridgewater, as do the #Patriots. If Bridgewater chooses Carolina over NE, you have to think OC Joe Brady, the young offensive wunderkind, is a big reason why.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2020

The Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have given Cam Newton and his representatives permission to seek a trade, so they are also in search of a new starting quarterback. ESPN’s Dianna Russini has reported that talks between Bridgewater and the Panthers are “going very well,” but it’s unclear when those talks began. Now that Brady has officially announced he will not be returning to the Patriots, the free agency landscape could shift dramatically.

The Patriots have very little salary cap space, so they may be hesitant to give Bridgewater the type of money teams are expected to offer him. There are obviously many ways to manipulate cap space, but the Panthers are in a better position to pay Bridgewater than New England is.