I'm going to go ahead and run the risk of speaking too soon, being that there is a big difference between being expected to re-sign and actually re-signing, because this news doesn't surprise me as much as it probably should. That could be a product of my Saints' bias, combined with a laughable lack of belief in the teams that instead chose to recycle the painfully average passers they know (Joe Flacco, Case Keenum, etc.) rather than take a chance on the ceiling of a relative unknown, but the truth is that Teddy Bridgewater's best chance to succeed was always as Drew Brees' successor. The inevitable allure of more money and the immediate opportunity to start can't be undersold, but neither can the ease with which an insurance policy of a back-up quarterback danced his way into the hearts of a winning locker room despite playing a grand total of zero meaningful snaps as a part of it. There obviously wouldn't have been any hard feelings if he chose to kickstart a career that was put on hold by a horrific knee injury, but it speaks to the culture in New Orleans that Teddy Two Gloves didn't already have one foot out the door. This premature news makes the Saints' front office look like geniuses for flipping merely a third round pick for what could potentially end up being long-term stability at the position in which it's the hardest to attain, but it's really a feather in the cap of the players for creating such quality cohesiveness both on and off the field. It was safe to assume the business of Teddy Bridgewater was better left entrusted with someone like Sean Payton who can maximize his talents, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush when it comes to making your presence felt in a league as unforgiving to it's oft-forgotten athletes as the NFL. Whether it be more of a credit to the completeness of their roster or the unity of their front, the Saints reportedly amended that Bird Law by reportedly convincing a quality quarterback to wait out a black & golden opportunity. That's far easier said than done when considering how quickly earning windows close and opportunity costs plummet in professional football. Even if there is a suspicious amount of symmetry between Teddy Bridgewater's career path and that of someone who is Canton-bound after overcoming a career-threatening injury, slipping through the Dolphins' finger tips, and breaking every record in the book after being given the reigns as the franchise quarterback to a formidable offense in his mid-to-late 20's.
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