Why Teddy Bridgewater already feels confident, comfortable in Carolina

[Sir Purr]

Bridgewater has an authenticity and a secureness that reveals his confidence but doesn't come off as cocky. He had to find that inner peace during his first season as a Saints backup.


"One of the biggest problems I had my first year in New Orleans was I wanted to be like Drew (Brees). I had to do everything Drew did in order to have success like Drew," Bridgewater said. "But eventually, I learned that Drew Brees is Drew Brees. I'm Teddy Bridgewater.


"Cam Newton is Cam Newton. I'm still Teddy Bridgewater. So I can't go out there and try to be something that I'm not. I play the game the way I play it. I carry myself the way I carry myself, and I'm going to live and die by that."


Bridgewater's self-confidence has come through in multiple ways since he signed with the Panthers this spring. In addition to leading some virtual meetings, he put together a three-day workout in Charlotte to solidify what he had learned with his new teammates. And his knowledge of the offense meant Bridgewater could help install offensive coordinator Joe Brady's ideas and language before training camp.


"We put together a brief period where I got the receivers, the running backs, the tight ends, the offensive line even showed up," Bridgewater said. "We just had three days of work, similar to a minicamp at the end of OTAs. It was very beneficial for us."


Bridgewater can command the offense so well because of his familiarity with the scheme, which is clearly advantageous for a free agent quarterback who signed with a new team during a pandemic. While the base offense is similar to the one Bridgewater and Brady worked with in New Orleans, there are some new wrinkles.


"I'm excited about that," Bridgewater said. "Just being familiar with this system has been huge, especially with us not being able to meet in person for OTAs throughout the spring."


In one of his recent social media posts, Bridgewater said there is always an answer in Brady's offense. Expounding on the point Monday, Bridgewater said Brady calls plays to spread the ball around. Even someone who may not be a primary target on a play may end up with the ball. That means each player must be locked in on each snap.


"You design plays for specific guys, but when you're running this offense, as you go through your progression, there's always going to be someone coming into your vision, wherever you start at. There's always going to be an outlet for you," Bridgewater said. "I try to reiterate that to the guys so that everyone is performing their (part of the) play at a high speed."


But more than the scheme, Bridgewater feels comfortable explaining what Brady wants in the offense because of the bond the two developed in New Orleans. As has been well documented, when Bridgewater was traded to the Saints just before the start of the 2018 season, it was Brady who schooled him on the offense.


"We're back reunited, and it's great to see a familiar face," Bridgewater said. "But it's also great to see someone who actually taught me the system, and to be able to actually grow in the system, and continue to run it, and run it the way he sees it."


Each team in the NFC South made a significant move this offseason to improve its offense, whether it was Tom Brady with the Buccaneers, Emmanuel Sanders with the Saints, or Todd Gurley with the Falcons. Bridgewater didn't play the comparison game, though, and instead pointed to the work the Panthers must do to elevate themselves.


"On pen and paper, everyone's crowning themselves as some of the most talented teams in the league and future playoff teams. But it starts with the work that we put in right now, and we can't look too far ahead," Bridgewater said. "Of course, we have some guys on this roster who have done some great things, and I'm excited to be on the same field as those guys. But at the end of the day, we have to execute what we plan on doing here in Carolina, which is running Joe Brady's offense and doing it at a high level."