Teddy Bridgewater was basically a forgotten man at the start of the offseason, and the New York Jets signed him to serve as an insurance policy and/or prove himself enough to inspire other teams to make trade offers. So far, he has shown he could be capable of accomplishing both of those goals for the franchise.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote on Sunday that the Jets “couldn’t be happier with Bridgewater” through the early portion of offseason workouts. Cimini also notes that the 25-year-old’s trade value is increasing, but he may just end up being the best man to start for the Jets.
Not only did he perform well in the first practice, open to the media, but he maintained it throughout the week. While it’s too soon to wage a “Teddy-should-be-starting” campaign — his surgically repaired knee won’t be truly tested until he gets hit in a preseason game — it creates some interesting options for the Jets.
When they made a one-year, low-cost investment in Bridgewater, they did so with the belief that he could be flipped for a draft pick under the right circumstances. That’s still on the table; his trade value is trending upward. Or they could decide to keep him because, if he stays healthy, he might be the best quarterback on the team in 2018.
The Jets would love for Sam Darnold to earn the starting job, but that will be easier said than done. The last thing they want to do is stunt the growth of the former USC star. Brigewater and veteran QB Josh McCown have combined salaries of $16 million for 2018, so the Jets will almost certainly part ways with one of them prior to the start of the season.
If you believe one report we shared with you about how Jets coach Todd Bowles feels about Bridgewater, it seems like the former first-round pick has a legitimate chance at starting Week 1.
