After clinching home-field advantage for the playoffs, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is ready to turn to his backups for the team’s final regular season game.
On Friday, Payton announced backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will start on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. MVP candidate Drew Brees gets to rest coming off the best season in his career.
Payton said Bridgewater will start
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) December 28, 2018
Bridgewater, whom the Saints acquired in August, will finally get the chance to show what he has learned under a full season of Sean Payton.
The 26-year-old shined in the preseason with the New York Jets to garner a lot of attention. After spending over four months learning from Brees and Payton, Bridgewater will now get a chance to prove himself in a regular season game.
It will be Bridgewater’s first start since 2015 and is a remarkable turnaround after the horrific injury he suffered before the 2016 season.
If he can turn in a strong performance against the Carolina Panthers, Bridgewater will solidify himself as the best quarterback available in free agency this offseason.