4. He might be exactly what the Broncos’ offense needs
Perhaps the biggest factor going in Teddy Bridgewater’s favor right now? He might just be exactly what the Denver Broncos’ offense needs.
Of course, every NFL fan wants their quarterback to be Mahomes-like in their ability to make plays, make ridiculous throws, and be a threat as both a runner and passer with transcendent physical skills.
Those types of guys are not easy to find and while Bridgewater is much more of a game manager, the Denver Broncos can get back into the playoffs with that.
If the last five years of quarterback play for the Denver Broncos had a cumulative QB rating, not including passes thrown by position players or punters, it would be a rating of 78.1.
That would have been the 5th-worst mark in the NFL last year out of 35, dead last in 2019, fourth-worst in 2018…you get the idea.
Bridgewater’s career rating is 89.5 and his lowest rating as a full-time starter came in his rookie season in the league with an 85.2.
In the last two seasons, Bridgewater’s QB rating has had him hovering in the top 10-20 range among all starting quarterbacks. If his QB rating of 99.1 with the Saints in 2019 had qualified him for a league ranking position, he would have been right behind Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott at 11th in the NFL.
QB rating is not the end-all for quarterbacks, but there’s something to be said of Bridgewater’s consistently solid rating and how it’s always been higher when he’s on better overall teams.
Putting a quarterback that could rank between 10-20 in QB rating over the course of a season with a potentially top-five defense and one of the best sets of weaponry in the league? That could be a winning formula for the Denver Broncos, and if Drew Lock proves to be erratic, Bridgewater might be exactly what the team needs to win ball games, even if they’re not scoring 40 points a week.