Teddy Bridgewater and the deep ball: An enduring question

Teddy Bridgewater has medals on his chest. First-round draft pick. Pro Bowler. Starting Quarterback in the National Football League.

Yet since the outset of his NFL career, detractors have complained about one aspect of his game: the deep ball. In seven years in the league, he hasn’t shaken being labeled as an average arm talent. It started with the NFL’s official draft profile in 2014.

“Compensates for a lack of elite arm talent and prototype measurables with the intangibles and football intelligence that could elevate the other 52 players around him.”

Now if we go back to scouting reports for say, Tom Brady:

“Lacks a really strong arm, can’t drive the ball downfield”

Or Drew Brees:

“Lacks accuracy and touch on his long throws”

Or Joe Montana:

“The word was Joe didn’t have a rocket for an arm like some of the other QB’s in the draft”

I don’t care how you rank the top QB’s of all time, all three of these guys are on the list. A perceived lack of arm strength early in their careers didn’t stop Brady, Brees, or Montana from winning Super Bowls, topping leaderboards and leading the league as elite passers. There’s more to quarterbacking than doing your best Uncle Rico impression.

Broncos fans should know well by now that a “big arm” does not necessarily equate to success on the field. If it did, we’d all be throwing our Paxton Lynch jersey’s over hoodies to watch the Broncos play every January. But we’re not.

Teddy Bridgewater excels in the areas the Broncos severely lacked in recent years, in vision, touch, and pocket awareness. The question remains, however: Just how good is Teddy’s arm?

In terms of precision and touch, we’ve heard rave reviews, but I wanted to see how well he can really push it deep on film. It’s been a focal point of criticism throughout his career, from Minnesota to New Orleans and Carolina. There are countless metrics attempting to gauge QB’s verticality, but sometimes it’s best to just stick to film.