NFL odds revealed on where Teddy Bridgewater will sign in free agency

Since being drafted with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Teddy Bridgewater has walked a rather circuitous path in the NFL. 

The Louisville product earned the starting role as a rookie for the Vikings and was largely praised for his accuracy and toughness in the pocket, but a seeming unwillingness to take risks down the field led many to question his long-term viability as a starter. Then a horrific knee injury uprooted any chance he had to prove otherwise.

When he resurfaced nearly two years later, he had signed with the Jets and was subsequently traded to the Saints to back up Drew Brees. After throwing just 23 passes in 2018, Bridgewater was finally gifted an opportunity in 2019 when Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury and he took advantage.

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Bridgewater revived his stock as a potential starter by completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 1,384 yards and nine touchdowns with just two interceptions while helping New Orleans to a 5-0 record during his time as a starter. And with his contract expiring this offseason and Drew Brees announcing his intention to return in 2020, it appears as if Bridgewater will be seeking a starting role outside of New Orleans in free agency.

With that in mind, SportsLine oddsmaker have looked at the NFL starting quarterback landscape and revealed odds on where Bridgewater will play in 2020. These odds are for informational purposes only.

Which team will Teddy Bridgewater be on Week 1 of the 2020 season?

Panthers +200
Colts +300
Chargers +500
Bucs +700
Broncos +800
Bears +1000
Patriots +1500

After being drafted as a 21-year-old, Bridgewater is a seasoned veteran, but he's only 27 years old. So with the right opportunity, Bridgewater could be a starter or at least someone who competes to be a starter for another 10 years. And while most franchises will likely look at Bridgewater as a potential stopgap until they can find a long-term solution at quarterback in the draft, there's at least an outside chance that he elevates his game and takes the reins as a franchise cornerstone.

That will likely be factored into the pricing to a modest extent and could leave the Broncos in a tight spot. Joe Flacco carries a dead cap hit of $13.6 million in 2020, meaning even if he's released that's cap space that will be tied into the position that will make it difficult to sink another $15-20 million into Bridgewater. And they'd probably prefer to see what they have in Drew Lock.

The Bears are in a similar position with Mitchell Trubisky's entire $9.2 million cap hit guaranteed and a projected $5.5 million in available cap space entering the offseason. Both teams could make it work if they were convinced that Bridgewater could take them over the top, but it'd take some cap maneuvering and a level of certainty most certainly don't have in a player who only threw 221 passes in the last four years.

With Tom Brady's contract coming off the books, the Patriots could certainly afford Bridgewater if Brady decided to move on. But despite all the posturing, it still seems counterintuitive to envision the six-time Super Bowl champion playing anywhere other than Foxboro. Which means Bridgewater only makes sense if he's willing to sign a deal that makes him the heir to the throne (at a cut-rate price).

So that takes us back to the top of the odds board. The Buccaneers seem to have the inside track on Philip Rivers, which would give Bruce Arians an established veteran who should have no problem running his system while he explores long-term options via the draft. Meanwhile, the Chargers have moved on from Rivers, but with the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming draft, they'll likely go that route to address their quarterback issues, though it's possible Bridgewater is signed to ease that transition.

Meanwhile, Bridgewater's similarities as a game manager to Jacoby Brissett would seem to make that move redundant and Brissett carries $12.5 million in dead money into 2020. So that leaves us with the Panthers almost by process of elimination. Cam Newton is technically under contract still, but he's only got $2 million in dead money left in his deal and owner David Tepper sounded iffy at best on Newton's health in a recent interview. So Bridgewater could come in and allow them to explore their options at quarterback with pick No. 7 or address another position of need.