The Facts: Bridgewater insists he won’t be upset if the Panthers use the eighth pick of the NFL draft on a quarterback who could replace him as the starter in 2021. That's a good thing, because coach Matt Rhule on Monday left open that possibility and wouldn’t commit to Bridgewater as the starter next season. “We’ll see what happens moving forward," Rhule said in his season wrap-up news conference. “Teddy is here. I have a lot of respect for him. I believe in what he can do. I’ve seen glimpses, flashes of us as an offense looking really good. ... With regards to the draft and players, we’ll look at every opportunity to have the best we can have at every position, and that includes the quarterback position."
Diehards Line:Rhule’s response shouldn’t be a surprise. He said he believes in competition at every position and admits he typically wouldn’t give a “resounding yes" committing to any player being the starter next year. That being said, Rhule was clear heading into the 2020 season that Bridgewater was the starter as soon as the Panthers in March signed him to a three-year, $63 million deal to be Cam Newton’s replacement. There is no such clarity now after Bridgewater spent the final quarter and a half of a 5-11 season on the bench watching backup P.J. Walker and Tommy Stevens take all the snaps. “We’ll have to wait and see in term with any moves we make in the offseason and where we’re headed, both at the quarterback position and any position," Rhule said.