The New Orleans Saints agreed to acquire former Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the New York Jets for a third-round draft pick.
While record-setting quarterback Drew Brees is entrenched as New Orleans' starter, the move signifies that Saints Sean Payton was not entirely comfortable with either veteran Tom Savage or second-year pro Taysom Hill serving as Brees' backup.
"We are very pleased to obtain a young player with quite a bit of playing experience in Teddy Bridgewater," General Manager Mickey Loomis said. "He's a successful quarterback and we know he will be a great addition to our quarterback room."
The trade brings more clarity to the Jets' quarterback situation. It appears rookie Sam Darnold is the starter after being given every opportunity to win the job in a competition that included Bridgewater and incumbent Josh McCown.
Darnold is 29 of 45 for 244 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the preseason and started the past two games, a strong signal that he would open the season under center when New York is at Detroit on Sept. 10.
Bridgewater arguably outplayed Darnold this summer, going 28 of 38 for 316 yards, two TDs and one interception. More than anything, though, he proved he's healthy two years after a devastating knee injury that had many wondering if he'd ever walk again, let alone resume his football career.
The 25-year-old Bridgewater, a former Louisville star who has played in 20 NFL games with Minnesota, had little interest from teams in the offseason. New York signed him to a one-year contract that only guaranteed a $500,000 signing bonus — but included performance-based incentives.
