Teddy Bridgewater to Play vs. Panthers, Drew Brees Says

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees told reporters on Wednesday that backup Teddy Bridgewater would see the field in a home matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. 

Per Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune, Brees also said that he wasn't sure how much playing time Bridgewater would receive.

The 13-2 Saints have clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs, so their Week 17 game is a warmup before they play in the divisional round in mid-January.

Therefore, Bridgewater's eventual appearance makes sense, especially because it gives the opportunity for New Orleans to reserve Brees for the playoffs.

Bridgewater was the Minnesota Vikings' first-round pick in 2014 and started for two seasons, but a serious knee injury suffered during a 2016 preseason team practice forced him off the active roster until November 2017.

By that point, Case Keenum had taken over as the Vikings' starter. Minnesota then decided to go with free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason, leaving Bridgewater without a home.

The New York Jets signed Bridgewater to a one-year deal in 2018, but the Saints dealt them a third-round pick to upgrade at backup quarterback.

While Brees is turning 40 years old in January, he's coming a career-high 74.4 percent completion rate and 32 touchdowns in 15 games. Unless Brees decides to surprisingly retire, Bridgewater's next destination will be elsewhere provided he's looking for a starting job.

That makes Sunday's game vitally important for Bridgewater, as this will be his best audition for potential future employers. With the ex-Louisville star a free agent after this season, Bridgewater will want to provide some positive game tape in the hope of proving that he's worth a team taking a chance on him as a potential starter.

The good news is that Bridgewater is that numerous teams should have quarterback openings next season, most notably the Jacksonville Jaguars. If he delivers against Carolina, that could go a long way for the 26-year-old to land one of them.