Panthers' Teddy Bridgewater Replaced by P.J. Walker After Ankle Injury vs Saints

The Carolina Panthers brought P.J. Walker on to replace Teddy Bridgewater in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Prior to exiting, Bridgewater was 13-of-23 for 176 yards and two interceptions. He had also run for seven yards on three carries. He told reporters after the game he had injured his ankle in the first half, which eventually led the coaching staff to remove him when his performance started suffering.

Giving Bridgewater a three-year, $63 million deal seemed a smart move for the Panthers at the time. They had decided to move on from Cam Newton, and a $21 million annual salary isn't out of step with how much a veteran quarterback can command in a starting role.

Bridgewater has fallen short of expectations, though. Entering Week 17, he had thrown for 3,557 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

To be fair, the 28-year-old has had to carry a heavier burden than Carolina planned since Christian McCaffrey was limited to three games. When an offense is missing its centerpiece for nearly the entire year, nobody should be surprised when the unit struggles.

The Panthers may have a hard time moving on from Bridgewater this offseason since they'd have to absorb a big financial hit unless they can find a trade partner.

Releasing him before June 1 would mean $20 million in dead money in 2021 with only $3 million in savings. Making him a post-June 1 cut would spread that hit over two years ($15 million in 2021, $5 million in 2022) while saving $8 million.

Perhaps Carolina will be content to target a quarterback early in the draft and keep Bridgewater on the roster for another year.