Jets made the right choice trading Teddy Bridgewater

The New York Jets traded quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and a 2019 sixth-round draft pick to the New Orleans Saints for a 2019 third-round draft pick on Wednesday.

The New York Jets discovered the benefits of having multiple options at the starting quarterback position. They were able to turn a $1,000,000 investment in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater into draft capital to build for the future. Bridgewater received $500,000 as a signing bonus and $500,000 in guaranteed money.

This was a low-risk deal for the Jets, to begin with. They took a chance on Bridgewater, who was returning from not playing for two seasons due to a gruesome knee injury that nearly ended his NFL career.

Bridgewater shined in offseason practices and further solidified his potential as a starting quarterback in the NFL with his play in preseason action. He has completed 28 of 38 passes (73.7 completion percentage) for 316 yards (8.31 YPA), two touchdowns, an interception and a 104.7 passer rating so far.

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Bridgewater has the proven success as a starting quarterback in the league. In 2015 he led the Minnesota Vikings to an 11-5 record and an NFC North Division title. This, along with his performance in the preseason, was enough to bait the New Orleans Saints into presenting the Jets with an offer they couldn’t refuse.

To be clear, Bridgewater is not the future of the Jets. The future of the Jets is a 21-year-old rookie quarterback by the name of Sam Darnold. It makes no sense for the Jets to take the cap hit of $6 million when they know Bridgewater isn’t their guy. They’re already dishing out $10 million to have Josh McCown on the roster as a veteran backup.

It’s also important to remember that the Jets only signed Bridgewater to a one-year contract. He has no value to the Jets after this season. If he were to get injured at some point during the regular season, general manager Mike Maccagnan’s plan to get a large return on the low investment in Bridgewater would implode.

Through his preseason play, Darnold has proven he is ready to take the reigns as the Jets’ starting quarterback. Darnold has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He’s proven that, even as a rookie, he’s capable of making quick, smart decisions while limiting the big mistakes. It’s hard to ask for much more from a rookie quarterback.

When it all comes down to it the Jets made the right choice shipping Bridgewater to the Saints. They got a great return on a low-risk investment and this move allows them to continue building for the future. And even without Bridgewater, the Jets still have two viable options when it comes to who will start under center this season.