NFL quarterback tracker: Carolina Panthers trade Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos in move that could have first-round draft implications
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The NFL quarterback dominoes began to fall early this offseason with the Jan. 30 blockbuster trade agreement that sent the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and three draft picks.
As the Chicago Bears search for their next answer at quarterback — the team signed Andy Dalton — the Tribune is tracking moves across the league at the position.
Wednesday
The Carolina Panthers traded Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos, the teams announced.
What it means: Bridgewater’s exit after just one season with Carolina comes after the Panthers acquired Sam Darnold from the New York Jets earlier this month. The Panthers received a 2021 sixth-round pick for Bridgewater, who completed 340 of 492 passes for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2020. The Broncos get a veteran quarterback to compete with Drew Lock, who is entering his third NFL season.
The trade has implications for this weekend’s draft because the Panthers are picking at No. 8 and the Broncos are picking at No. 9. It potentially could mean one fewer team in the quarterback market if the Broncos are content with the Bridgewater-Lock mix. If that’s the case, the Broncos could field trade offers for the No. 9 pick from quarterback-needy teams. However, the Panthers could decide they want another quarterback in their room and go after one at No. 8.
April 19
Alex Smith announced his retirement on Instagram after 16 years in the NFL.
What it means: Smith was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2020 after he came back from a devastating leg injury in 2018 to start six games for the Washington Football Team. He completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions while going 5-1 as a starter in 2020.
Smith, who will be 37 in May, was the No. 1 pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 and started 75 games over seven seasons with them. He made the Pro Bowl three times over five years with the Kansas City Chiefs. He started 10 games for Washington in 2018 before missing the rest of the year and all of 2019 with a leg injury that threatened to end his career. Washington released Smith this offseason, and he was available in free agency before deciding to call it a career.
The New York Jets are trading Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers, the teams announced.
What it means: The Jets are expected to draft a quarterback later this month with the No. 2 pick, with most analysts predicting they will take BYU’s Zach Wilson. They continued down that path Monday by trading Darnold for a 2021 sixth-round pick and second- and fourth-round picks in 2022.
Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, completed 59.6% of his passes for 2,208, nine touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 72.7 passer rating in 12 games in 2020. He had a 78.6 passer rating over three seasons with the Jets.
Darnold, who will be 24 in June, gets a new start and joins Teddy Bridgewater in the Panthers quarterbacks room. Bridgewater completed 69.1% of his passes for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 92.1 passer rating over 15 games last season, his first with the Panthers. NFL Network reported the Panthers will look to trade Bridgewater or try to rework his contract.
The trade potentially signals the Panthers are out of the quarterback draft market with the No. 8 pick.
March 18
Mitch Trubisky has signed with the Buffalo Bills.
What it means: For those who were wondering where Trubisky would land after his four-year run in Chicago with the Bears officially ended Wednesday, we have our answer. In a move first reported by ESPN, Trubisky has agreed to join the Buffalo Bills as a backup to Josh Allen.
According to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, Bills general manager Brandon Beane isn’t making plans for Trubisky to finish his career in Buffalo. “This is a reset for him,” Beane told Louis-Jacques. “We don’t expect him to be here long term.”
March 16
The Chicago Bears are signing quarterback Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10 million contract.
What it means: Dalton, 33, joins Nick Foles in the Bears quarterback room with what would appear to be the inside track to start – for now. The move doesn’t necessarily stop the Bears from pursuing another quarterback via trade or the draft. But it does mark the end of the Mitch Trubisky era in Chicago.
Dalton was the Cincinnati Bengals starter for nine seasons before they released him last offseason so they could turn to top draft pick Joe Burrow. Dalton started nine games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 when Dak Prescott was injured, throwing for 2,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, eight interceptions and an 87.3 passer rating. Dalton, who has played in four playoff games, all losses, previously worked with Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.
5 things to know about Andy Dalton, including the new Bears quarterback’s playoff history and his departure from the Bengals
How do Andy Dalton’s career numbers compare with those of 2020 Bears QBs Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles?
Former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor is signing a one-year deal with the Houston Texans, according to multiple reports.
What it means: Taylor’s deal can be worth up to $12.5 million but has a base value of less than $6 million, NFL Network reported. He becomes the backup to Deshaun Watson, who has declared a desire to be traded, though the Texans haven’t yet indicated they’re willing to move him. Taylor, who will be 32 in August, hasn’t started more than three games in a season since 2015-17, when he started 43 games for the Buffalo Bills. He started one with the Chargers in 2020, completing 16 of 30 passes for 208 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. But before Week 2, a Chargers team doctor accidentally punctured his lung while trying to administer an injection of painkiller to his ribs. Rookie Justin Herbert started instead and retained the job the rest of the way.
The Miami Dolphins agreed to a one-year deal to sign Jacoby Brissett, according to multiple reports.
What it means: Brissett will make $5 million, with a max value of $7.5 million, the Boston Globe reported, in the deal that makes him the backup to Tua Tagovailoa. Brissett, 28, was with the Indianapolis Colts the last four seasons, starting 30 games in 2017 and 2019 before he backed up Philip Rivers in 2020.
March 15
Ryan Fitzpatrick has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Football Team, ESPN reported.
What it means: The contract is worth $10 million and can grow to $12 million with incentives. Washington will be the ninth NFL team in 17 seasons for Fitzpatrick, 38. He started 20 games over the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, completing 68.5% of his passes for 2,091 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in seven starts in 2020. ESPN reported Fitzpatrick is expected to head to camp as the starter with competition from Taylor Heinicke.
The deal takes away another possibility from the Bears as they continue their quarterback hunt.
The Saints are re-signing Jameis Winston to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports.
What it means: The deal, which comes one day after Drew Brees announced his retirement, is worth up to $12 million, ESPN reported. The Saints now have Winston and Taysom Hill in 2021 as possibilities to replace Brees. Winston, 27, played in four games in his first season with the Saints after five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his last season in Tampa in 2019, Winston threw for 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
Winston’s return to New Orleans takes one potential fit for the Bears off the table.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announces his retirement from the NFL.
What it means: After 20 years in the NFL and 15 with the Saints, Brees, 42, is calling it a career. He made the announcement via an Instagram video with his four children. He leaves as the NFL’s all-time leader with 80,358 passing yards, ahead of Tom Brady’s 79,204. He is second with 571 touchdown passes to Brady’s 581. Brees played in 18 playoff games and was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIV to cap the 2009 season. He missed nine games over the last two seasons with injuries, including 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung in 2020. The Saints must now choose their next quarterback, with soon-to-be free agent Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill among their options.
March 12
The New England Patriots are bringing back Cam Newton on a one-year deal, the Boston Globe reported.
What it means: Newton completed 65.8% of his passes for 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions over 15 games in his first year trying to help the Patriots replace Tom Brady. He also rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Patriots went 7-9 last season.
ESPN reported Newton, who turns 32 in May, will get close to $14 million in the deal for his 11th NFL season. The outlet also reported Newton’s contract doesn’t necessarily stop the Patriots from making another quarterback move in the coming weeks.
March 8
The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott agreed to a four-year contract worth up to $164 million, according to multiple reports.
What it means: Prescott’s new deal includes $126 million guaranteed and comes one year after the Cowboys used the franchise tag to bring him back for a fifth season in 2020. Prescott, who will be 28 in July, played in five games last season before he suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle, but ESPN reported he is on pace to fully participate in the offseason program. In 2019, the two-time Pro Bowl selection threw for 4,902 yards with 30 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and a 99.7 passer rating.
March 5
The Washington Football Team is releasing Alex Smith.
What it means: Smith was the Comeback Player of the Year after he started six games for the first time since suffering a severe leg injury in 2018. He threw for 1,582 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions in his return.
Washington, who will save $14.9 million against the salary cap according to ESPN, said it was “best for both parties to move on” in a statement. NFL Network reported it is believed Smith, the 2005 No. 1 pick who will be 37 in May, still would like to play for another team. Meanwhile, Washington could be in the hunt for a new quarterback, though they also have Taylor Heinicke, exclusive rights free-agent Kyle Allen and Steven Montez as options.
March 4
The Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing back Ben Roethlisberger for the 2021 season.
What it means: Roethlisberger agreed to lower his pay to $14 million from $19 million in a restructured contract, according to multiple reports, helping the Steelers save about $15 million in salary-cap space. The agreement means Roethlisberger, 39, will return for his 18th season with the team. Coming off an elbow injury in 2019, he threw for 3,803 yards with 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 94.1 passer rating in 15 games in 2020.
Feb. 18
The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to trade Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts.
What it means: The Eagles received a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick in exchange for Wentz, the second selection in the 2016 draft. Wentz is a former Pro Bowler whose play fell off steeply in 2020, when he had 16 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions.
Wentz wanted to be traded to play for Colts coach Frank Reich, his former offensive coordinator. The Eagles, meanwhile, could turn to Jalen Hurts or pick up another quarterback to compete with him.
Jan. 30
The Detroit Lions are trading Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, and Jared Goff is part of the return.
What it means: After Stafford started 165 games over 12 seasons in Detroit, he asked the Lions to give him a new start elsewhere, and he now has that opportunity under coach Sean McVay. Meanwhile, Goff, the No. 1 draft pick in 2016, heads to Detroit for his own fresh start after five seasons, three of which ended in playoff berths, including a run to the Super Bowl during the 2018 season. But Goff threw 20 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in 2020 and also lost four of his seven fumbles. The Lions received two first-round draft picks and a third-round draft pick in the deal.
Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky takes the field against the Bills on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, N.Y.
© Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune