Does Teddy Bridgewater have what it takes to win over Broncos Country?

The Denver Broncos are looking for better quarterback play. That’s why they went out and traded for veteran Teddy Bridgewater.

During his pro career with teams like the Vikings, Saints and Panthers, Bridgewater was the type of player who was beloved by his teammates. He’s a tough player who plays football with a high intelligence and can be an accurate passer on short-to-intermediate routes.

He’s also known as a great leader in the huddle and on the field. Even though Bridgewater is somewhat soft-spoken, he’s the type of player who others want to follow.

This week, Bridgewater has attended OTAs for the first time as a member of the Broncos. His first day on the practice field saw him shake off some rust, which was to be expected. We also heard from him after practice, and a few of his teammates were asked about Bridgewater, as well.

Does Bridgewater have what it takes to win over his teammates and Broncos Country? Let’s take a look.

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Separation Comes Later

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio admitted something I have wanted more people to pick up on in this Bridgewater and Drew Lock 50-50 split. Everyone gets excited about a quarterback competition and it’s all we talk about and write about, but the truth of the matter is there will be no separation in this battle until we get to August.

When training camp begins in late July and the preseason begins in August, that’s when we could see one quarterback distance himself from the other. Fans and media will go back and forth about who wins what day and how somebody looked throwing against air without a defense on the field or in 7-on-7 drills without a pass rush, but that doesn’t matter, and Fangio admitted as much.

“It may be separation in some people’s minds, but until we get to at least practicing 11-on-11, you need to withhold much judgment. (In) 11-on-11, and ultimately the preseason games, will be the true tell,” Fangio said.

Bridgewater’s leadership ability can’t fully come through until he’s helping the team win games, but guys can get a feel for what kind of leader he can be in this early part of the offseason.

“There’s a lot of respect for him, both from the players and everybody in this organization. Until you go out and actually help your team win, I think it’s had to max out your leadership, but you definitely can start it now, even in these types of settings,” Fangio said.

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Reputation Precedes Him

Bridgewater is known as a high-intelligence player who knows how a defense is trying to defend each play. He also knows his personnel and how best to use each player. Bridgewater gets this knowledge by putting in the work and really getting to know the guys on his team on a personal level.

According to left tackle Garett Bolles, that process started as soon as Bridgewater was traded to the team.

“He knew everything about me, which was awesome. He did his homework and knew what he was coming into — who was going to block for him. I talked to him a couple of times. Great, great, great guy. Every person I’ve talked to around the league (says) he’s a phenomenal person. I know (general manager) Mr. (George) Paton speaks highly of him with him being in Minnesota. What a great person he is. He’s a great locker room guy, a great personality,” Bolles said.

Bridgewater’s experience in the league is something teammates like Bolles can respect.

“He’s seen almost everything being back there. I know he can help our team dramatically. If it’s letting Drew do his thing or if he’s the man, I know he’s going to do whatever he can to help us win. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can contribute to our offense,” Bolles said.

Like Bolles, all of Broncos Country is anxious to see what Bridgewater can bring to the Broncos – whether he’s the backup or the starter.

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Doing Right by Lock… Finally

If Bridgewater is the backup to Lock, then that’s great for the Broncos. If Bridgewater is the starter for the team, then that’s great for the Broncos. He’s either going to take the job and be the main man, or Bridgewater is going to push Lock in ways he never has been with the Broncos.

In fact, I don’t believe the Broncos have ever done right by Lock. They brought him in as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and had washed up Joe Flacco as their starter. Lock wasn’t ready to start, but Flacco and his “it’s not my job to mentor Lock” attitude didn’t help. Things were so bad that the team had to start Brandon Allen for a couple of games before finally having no choice but to start Lock in the final five games of his rookie year.

Last year, the Broncos brought in Jeff Driskel, and he did nothing to push Lock. In fact, it was third-string quarterback Brett Rypien who was helping Lock the most – and that’s not what you want as a team. This year, the Broncos are finally doing right by Lock by bringing in a quarterback who can push Lock and be a mentor for him.

“Teddy’s been great. I feel like we’re going to be able to talk easily out there. I feel like we can both bounce things off of each other now where I don’t feel necessarily that I’m the young one. I feel like I can talk back — Teddy is older than me. He is probably a couple years older than me, but I feel like I have enough knowledge where I can start talking these things out. Talking with him and being able to just bounce ideas off of him, which is nice,” Lock said.

If Lock is the starter, it means that he beat out Bridgewater and he’ll have a great mentor watching his back who can be ready to play in a moment’s notice.

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Backed by Defense

This Broncos roster is stacked on both sides of the ball. They can win a lot of games if Bridgewater is their starter. The players on the defense believe in Bridgewater because they know if they do their job, then he will do his job – and this team will get back on the winning track.

Von Miller has the strongest presence in the locker room. The future Hall of Fame pass-rusher gave his seal of approval to Bridgewater on Monday.

“I felt like that was a great move. Teddy’s ready to come in and play. Teddy’s ready to come in and compete. I think that’s what we need in the quarterback position. I’m not saying that this guy’s going to be the No. 1 guy, or this guy’s going to be the No. 1 guy. I’m not saying that yet, but we have a healthy quarterback competition that can only give us positive things out of that group. Teddy’s been a great vet for a long time. He’s been able to play and lead his teams to wins,” Miller said.

The Broncos just have to take care of the ball. They aren’t going to go toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs on offense. However, they are going to try and beat the you-know-what out of opponents on a weekly basis and win with defense.

That means they can’t be putting their defense in bad spots. That means they can’t turn the ball over constantly like it seemed they were doing last year. With Bridgewater starting, there’s a feeling around the building that this team can finally be who they’ve meant to be under Fangio with this great defense and strong rushing attack.

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Fans, You’re Next

All of his teammates, on both offense and defense – even the guy who could lose his job to him – love Bridgewater. So, why do Broncos fans seem so down on the move?

I’d say it’s because of what happened last year in Carolina. After backing up Drew Brees with the Saints in 2019 and going undefeated in five games as a starter when Brees was hurt, Bridgewater got another chance as a starter in the NFL.

The Panthers picked him up and thought his style of play would fit what new head coach Matt Rhule wanted to do. Instead, the Panthers finished 5-11 and near the bottom of their division.

Add in the fact that Carolina is paying a majority of Bridgewater’s salary just to get rid of him, and you can see how fans are at the most “meh” on the trade for the veteran quarterback. On Monday, Bridgewater was asked about how he felt about things falling apart after just one season with the Panthers.

“It is what it is honestly. I’m in Denver now and I’m excited about my opportunity that I have here. I’ve got nothing but respect for those guys in that locker room — Joe Brady and some of those guys. I’m excited to be in Denver and looking forward to what’s in store for me in Denver,” Bridgewater said.

Fans may not love the addition of Bridgewater, but if he wins the job and starts winning games that sentiment will change. If Lock beats out Bridgewater and starts winning games, fans should be thanking him for getting the best out of the young quarterback.

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