Panthers Rumors: CAR 'Still Looking' for QB After 1 Year with Teddy Bridgewater

The Carolina Panthers are reportedly considering options to replace Teddy Bridgewater as the team's starting quarterback.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Panthers offered the Detroit Lions Bridgewater, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft and a fifth-round pick for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Instead, the Lions traded Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for two future first-round picks, a 2021 third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff.

Schefter noted that after striking out on Stafford, the Panthers are "still looking" for a new quarterback.

Bridgewater signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Panthers last offseason, but his first season in Carolina didn't yield the type of results the front office likely hoped.

Serving as a full-time starter for the first time since 2015 with the Minnesota Vikings, the 28-year-old Bridgewater went just 4-11 as a starter and completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Bridgewater did facilitate for two 1,000-yard receivers in D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, but the Carolina offense was largely lacking in terms of big plays, especially with running back Christian McCaffrey missing all but three games.

With McCaffrey missing nearly the entire season, backup running back Mike Davis was the team's leading rusher with just 642 yards. Bridgewater had no consistent running game to speak of, which is partly why he and the offense had to rely so heavily on the short passing game.

The hope was that Bridgewater and offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who was an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints when Bridgewater was with the team in 2018, would click out of the gates.

That didn't necessarily happen, but pulling the plug after just one season might be rash, especially when considering the fact that Bridgewater didn't have the benefit of McCaffrey.

If the Panthers do decide to move on from Bridgewater this offseason, the draft may be their best bet at finding a replacement.

In terms of quarterbacks who could potentially be had on the trade market or via free agency, Houston Texans signal-caller Deshaun Watson is the biggest name, but the Texans have maintained that they aren't going to trade him despite his unhappiness with the organization, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Other potential targets include Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles, Sam Darnold of the New York Jets, Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers and Mitch Trubisky of the Chicago Bears.

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence will certainly be gone by the time the Panthers are on the clock with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but among the quarterbacks who could potentially be available at that spot are Ohio State's Justin Fields, BYU's Zach Wilson, North Dakota State's Trey Lance and Alabama's Mac Jones.

None of them are sure things, but there could be a franchise quarterback within the bunch, especially if they have McCaffrey to take some pressure off of them.