Let’s say Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is traded from the franchise in the upcoming months as free agency nears, as well as the official start of the NFL season for 2021. Now let’s imagine the Texans trade Watson to the NFC, and even more to the point, they trade Watson to the Carolina Panthers.
In that possible deal the Houston Texans quarterback situation would change as they would not only gain a Top 10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft this April, but that would mean the new Texans quarterback would be Teddy Bridgewater, as he would have to be in a deal for Deshaun Watson if one to were happen with the Panthers.
The positive about Bridgewater is he’s a solid quarterback, he’s a very tough football player, and he has experience playing as a starter, including this past season when he joined the Panthers.
In 2020 as the Carolina starter, Bridgewater passed for 3,733 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He completed 69.1 percent of his passes as the Panthers quarterback was 340-of-492 on the year. Bridgewater also rushed 53 times for 279 yards with five touchdown runs, including his longest rush of the season being 18 yards.
Bridgewater also has experience replacing a star quarterback because he’s coming off replacing Cam Newton in Carolina, and before that he was the backup for Drew Brees.
Before suffering a leg injury, Bridgewater was a first round pick back in 2014 by the Minnesota Vikings with the 32nd overall pick that year. Bridgewater has also played for the New York Jets for one season in 2019, but from 2014-17 he was the Vikings’ quarterback.
The Panthers should try for Watson ... but other than “not being the Texans”, why would Watson want to play for the Panthers? Their roster isn’t close to winning the Super Bowl. https://t.co/BBVtOqP5d0
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) February 20, 2021
In his first year with the Panthers, Bridgewater made $8 million in base salary , but this upcoming NFL season he’s scheduled to make $17 million, and in 2022 that number rises to $20 million. There is a potential out after the 2021 season which makes sense for a Houston Texans trade for the quarterback if a trade of Watson was even made.
The potential out involving Bridgewater after 2021 would be $5 million towards dead cap space. The plus for Bridgewater is $33 million of his contract is guaranteed which includes his signing bonus, his 2020 salary, and $10 million of his 2021 salary according to spotrac.com.
Houston Texans Quarterback: Teddy Bridgewater would be helpful in 2021
The Houston Texans quarterback situation could be solved for a season in a trade with the Panthers, because not only would they gain the experienced Bridgewater, but if the Texans wanted to draft a quarterback in the first round they would have the eighth overall pick in a deal involving Watson as well.
That eighth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft could be used to trade up even further in the this year’s draft, or there should be a quarterback worth selecting with that selection.
All of that said, the Texans would most likely gain at least another first round pick or two more in later years for a trade of Watson, but they would also be losing a player that is impossible to replace, that also being Watson.
There is so much to speculate over a trade of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, but a decision has to be made for either the Texans and Watson part ways, or they make up and it is business as usual.
As for Teddy Bridgewater, he’s a quality quarterback in the NFL, but he’s not Deshaun Watson because there is no replacing a player with the athletic ability and talents that Watson has.
Whomever replaces Watson in 2021 if a trade happens will have large shoes to fill, but if one player can play quality football while replacing a star it is Teddy Bridgewater.