Gauging the trade value of Teddy Bridgewater

If quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looks like he hasn’t missed a beat from his severe knee injury, the New York Jets could get something great in return if they decide to trade him down the road.

When the New York Jets took a chance on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, it was a low-risk/high reward kind of situation. Bridgewater was looking for a new opportunity after being released by the Minnesota Vikings as the Jets saw potential in his return to the gridiron.

Before Bridgewater got hurt, he was one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL who was able to make all the throws, extend plays with his mobility, and even took his team to the Playoffs. Unfortunately, once he got hurt, it was a lengthy rehab process in order for him to even resume regular football activities.

It’s hard to go off of just a few organized team activities but for the most part, Bridgewater has looked sharp on the field. Of course, it remains to be seen how he performs with pads on and against real defenses but for now, his trade value undoubtedly went up based on the start of Jets OTAs.

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What could the Jets realistically get for Bridgewater if they decided to trade him? Well, at this point in time, not much. Until he gets real football time against opposing defenses, he’s still a mystery. Now, if he lights it up during preseason action and outperforms both Josh McCown and Sam Darnold, it’s foreseeable to see the Jets name him their Week 1 starter.

Remember, the Jets have all their eggs in Darnold’s basket as it’s only a matter of when not if in regards to when he’ll eventually start. If Bridgewater is able to perform at a high level for the Jets to start the season, he can hold the fort down with McCown as his backup and Darnold waiting in the wings.

Once Darnold is completely ready and hopefully, before the NFL trade deadline, it would then make sense to trade Bridgewater to get something of high value in return and then turn the team over to the rookie. The Jets view Darnold as their future franchise quarterback and no matter how great Bridgewater plays, will likely be used as trade bait to acquire a high draft pick and/or players to bolster other areas of need for the team for the future.

Either way, this is a great situation for both sides since Bridgewater has an opportunity to prove to the football world he’s still got it and in doing so, could give the Jets something great in return once traded. His trade value as of now is on the rise and will only get bigger if he makes a great comeback over the next few months.