Will The Jets Trade Teddy Bridgewater? New York Could Deal Quarterback Or Name Him The 2018 Starter

Few players have had a bigger start to the 2018 NFL preseason than Teddy Bridgewater. Nearly three years since he last completed a regular-season pass, the quarterback has looked like the player the Minnesota Vikings hoped he would become when they used a first-round pick on him in 2014.

Among the three quarterbacks fighting for the New York Jets’ starting job, Bridgewater has been the most impressive. He separated himself from rookie Sam Darnold Thursday night against the Washington Redskins when he completed 10 of 15 passes for 127 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Darnold came back to earth after a stellar debut, going 8-11 but only throwing for 62 yards and a pick.

Josh McCown is the third player in the quarterback competition, though he didn’t see game action in Week 2. The veteran only attempted one pass in the preseason opener as Bridgewater led the Jets with a 150.5 passer rating.

Bridgewater’s two games have led to speculation that he will be traded before the start of the regular season. Darnold is clearly New York’s quarterback of the future after being taken with the No.3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. McCown is 39 years old and doesn’t have nearly the same kind of trade value as Bridgewater, who looks like he has the ability to lead a good team to the playoffs.

It’s what Bridgewater did the last time he was a starter. Minnesota went to the playoffs in the 2015 season, and the quarterback was expected to take another step forward in 2016 before a broken leg forced him to miss most of the next two seasons.

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager said Friday on “Good Morning Football” that the Jets could probably get a second-round pick in exchange for Bridgewater. The New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta has reported that the Jets would be open to trading the 25-year-old for the right price.

As most of the league has only played one exhibition game, there is no clear destination for Bridgewater. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might make the most sense since Jameis Winston has been suspended for the first three games of the season. Bridgewater might even be a better option for Tampa Bay once Winston is eligible to return. Teams looking for a reliable backup could look to acquire Bridgewater, though they might be unwilling to match New York’s asking price for a player that wouldn’t be the starter in Week 1.

If recent history is any indication, at least one team will be looking outside their organization for a starting quarterback as the season progresses. The Indianapolis Colts traded for Jacoby Brissett last September when it became clear that Andrew Luck wasn’t close to returning from his injury. It was Bridgewater’s injury that forced the Vikings to acquire Sam Bradford two Septembers ago.

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered an injury scare in their second preseason game Thursday night. Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles left the contest against the New England Patriots with a strained shoulder. Foles could start Week 1 for the Eagles as Carson Wentz recovers from a torn ACL that ended his 2017 season.

Maybe no serious preseason injuries will occur and the Jets won’t find that a team is willing to give them an early-round draft pick for Bridgewater. New York could give the quarterback the starting gig and look to compete for a wild-card berth as the second-best team in the AFC East.

If the Jets don’t trade Bridgewater, the odds are against him returning to New York in 2019. He’s signed to a one-year contract and certainly looks good enough to be a starter in the league.