How Teddy Bridgewater Could Be Cheaper for Bears Than We Think

Buzz is growing that the Chicago Bears might not feel quite so settled at quarterback as they made it seem last month. Insider Benjamin Allbright reported that the team is in the market for a veteran option. The name he was referring to was Derek Carr, but that is unlikely the only one they're exploring. Another who has gotten lots of attention is Teddy Bridgewater.

The former 1st round pick almost lost his career back in 2016 when he suffered a devastating knee injury. It took two years for him to return to action and not until last season for him to finally see the field again. As backup in New Orleans, he guided the Saints to five-straight wins when Drew Brees went out with a thumb injury. His efficiency, steadiness, and accuracy were all on display. It was a clear example of the player he once was.

This is why speculation is high that Bridgewater will have a hot market next month. Some even believe he could garner close to $30 million per year. Obviously that would take the Bears out of the discussion. However, a lot of this depends on the rest of the market.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN spoke to NFL execs about it. Here's what they had to say.

If most of the big-name quarterbacks stay put, the market for Bridgewater and Mariota will be strong -- more so with Bridgewater as a starter, evaluators say.

Both have starter's experience and have performed well in spurts. But where the money lands will be fascinating to the rest of the league, given the massive gap between starter money and backup money.

"It's basically below $10 million or above $20 million and not much middle ground," one NFC exec said. "The Nick Foles deal cost Jacksonville $22 million a year, and now they are stuck with him."

And Foles won a Super Bowl. These two haven't. That's why teams such as Chicago or Carolina could see both as bridge-starter options or high-level backups who can follow the Tannehill formula to success.

Tom Brady could ruin Teddy Bridgewater market

Here' where the significance of that statement comes in. Recently, longtime NFL analyst Rich Eisen spoke with ESPN insider Adam Schefter regarding the situation with Tom Brady. Schefter proceeded to explain that colleague Jeff Darlington, who has strong connections to the New England Patriots, has it on pretty good authority that the odds of Brady leaving are greater than staying at this point with the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders as the two most likely destinations.

This could end up having a massive chain reaction across the league. Suddenly either Derek Carr or Ryan Tannehill would become available, eating into Bridgewater's market with QB-needy teams. This doesn't factor in what the Carolina Panthers might do with Cam Newton or the Cincinnati Bengals with Andy Dalton. It's already known Philip Rivers intends to change teams. So the speculation that Bridgewater could make close to $30 million is feeling less and less likely by the day.

With fewer teams vying for his services, he'll have to take less money to secure a starting job. This is where the Bears, provided they want to make a change, could take advantage.