Buccaneers name ex-Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater top backup to Baker Mayfield

In theory, the Carolina Panthers should be the second-best team this year in the NFC South. In reality, the Tampa Bay Buccnaeers are still far ahead of the competition going into the 2025 season. The sizeable gap between Tampa and the rest of the division may have grown, as well.

Already deeper and more talented than Carolina, Atlanta and New Orleans on paper, the Bucs added another great receiver in the draft with Emeka Egbuka. They also added Haason Reddick to a loaded pass rush rotation and reloaded at cornerback with Kindle Vildor and Jacob Parrish. They've also upgraded their backup QB situation in a big way.

According to Jeremy Fowler at ESPN, the Bucs have named former Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater as their new primary backup behind Backer Mayfield, a significant step up over Kyle Trask.

The #Bucs are making Teddy Bridgewater the primary backup to Baker Mayfield.

Bridgewater came out of retirement to sign with Tampa on Aug. 5. Now, he’s QB2. pic.twitter.com/uV2VKlMnwk
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 25, 2025

Bridgewater spent a few minutes with the Detroit Lions last year, but only appared in one game and threw two passes. Instead, he spent his time coaching his high school team to a Florida state championship.

Teddy of course spent the 2020 season as the Panthers' starting quarterback after signing a three-year deal, but it only lasted for one. He went 4-11, posting 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 inteceptions.

The following season Bridgewater was replaced by Sam Darnold, who started out hot but in the end didn't do any better, posting a 4-7 record with 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Darnold has since had a breakthrough year in Minnesota and signed a lucractive deal with the Seattle Seahawks to become their new QB1.

Darnold was succeeded by Baker Mayfield, who went 1-5 with 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. The team finished at 7-10, but team owner David Tepper dcided he had seen enough of the QB carousel and the Panthers traded up to No. 1 overall for Bryce Young in the draft. Mayfield went on to have his on break-through with the Bucs.

If Young can pick up where he left off at the end of last season, this parade of sadness will finally come to an end and he'll be established as the team's first legitimate franchise quarterback since Cam Newton's injuries caught up to him in early 2019.

If not, the Panthers will likely be back to the drawing board at QB next offseason. If history is any indication, Young would then move on to another team and finally reach his full potential there.

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