According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Bears are in contract discussions with Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater on a deal that would make him their starting quarterback.
Florio says the initial contract numbers around $21 million per year would have Bridgewater in position to supplant Mitchell Trubisky as the starter in Chicago.
The Bears have a decision to make on Trubisky’s fifth-year option later this offseason. If they decline it, he would become a free agent following the 2020 season.
Bridgewater played himself into a chance at a starting position this year by going 5-0 in relief of Brees in 2019. He’s expected to have a “strong” free-agent market, with the Buccaneers among the teams reportedly interested.
Bridgewater, 27, is a former first-round pick of the Vikings back in 2014. He played out the final year of his four-year, $6,849,502 rookie contract after Minnesota declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
Bridgewater signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Jets last year that included just $500,000 guaranteed. However, the Jets later traded him to the Saints during the preseason and he returned to New Orleans last year on another one-year contract.
In 2019, Bridgewater appeared in nine games for the Saints and completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 1,384 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 31 yards.
We have him included in our Top 100 – 2020 Free Agents list.
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