The New York Jets haven't seen Teddy Bridgewater play in a single preseason game yet, but it appears that they're already open to trading him.
According to the New York Daily News, the Jets would be willing to make a deal for Bridgewater if they can get something strong in return such as decent draft pick or a player that would be able to contribute right away. Of course, it's hard for the Jets to make any demands, because no one actually knows if Bridgewater is still any good.
Over the past two seasons (2016-17), Bridgewater has only played a total of nine snaps. The former Vikings quarterback famously missed the entire 2016 season after suffering a horrific knee injury in August of that year.
For both Bridgewater and Jets, a lot will be hinging on this Friday's preseason opener against the Falcons. If Bridgewater looks good, then teams may feel safe making a trade for him, and his stock could shoot up. Bridgewater's stock could also shoot up if any team loses a quarterback between now and the regular season.
Sam Darnold could also factor into any trade plans involving Bridgewater. According to the NYDN, if Darnold, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, looks good during preseason play, then the Jets will feel more comfortable trading away Bridgewater and going into the season with a 1-2 combo of Josh McCown and the rookie.
One other thing helping the Jets is Bridgewater's contract. The quarterback is only signed for one year at $6 million, which is an incredibly cheap price for a potential starting quarterback. Basically, if Bridgewater looks good during the preseason, then a team might be more inclined to go after him, knowing they can get a starting-caliber QB for such a reasonable price.
As for the Jets, they haven't really tried to hide the fact that a trade could be coming down the road. During a recent interview, general manager Mike Maccagnan admitted the Jets were thinking about it (hypothetically).
"I know that's a question that comes up," Maccagnan said. "Any time you have a number of players that you like at a position, it's a natural thing (to think), 'Hey, they may have a --' I'm not saying we have a surplus ... but some teams carry two quarterbacks. (So) you have the ability to potentially (think), 'Oh, hypothetically we could do that.'"
Maccagnan also pointed out that the preseason will play an important role in helping the Jets decide what they should do.
"We like a lot of things that Teddy's done this offseason," Maccagnan said. "We obviously know Josh from having him last year and what he brings to the table. But I would say from that standpoint, it's very early. We kind of want to see how these guys still grow and develop."
As for Bridgewater, he hasn't been fazed by any trade rumors, which have been circling him for the past few weeks.
"I live in the moment," Bridgewater said. "You control what you can control. For me, it is coming to work every day and putting forth my best effort, leading my group up and down the field, throwing completions and getting us in and out of the right plays. That is what I look forward to right now. Everything else will take care of itself. Right now, I have to live in the moment and trust the process."
If he's not traded, Bridgewater should see extensive action this preseason. The Jets open their preseason schedule up on Friday with a home game against Atlanta, before playing the Redskins (Aug. 16, at Washington), Giants (Aug. 24) and Eagles (Aug. 30, at Philadelphia).
