CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Teddy Bridgewater knows better than most how important it is for a backup quarterback to prove himself in something other than a mop-up role.
Had Bridgewater not made the most of his five starts -- and five wins -- last year for the New Orleans Saints, then the Carolina Panthers wouldn’t have had the complete picture needed to give him a chance to be their full-time starter this year.
“It’s definitely important," Bridgewater said on Thursday. “For yourself as a player, your confidence, it’s important for the guys around you to know that you’re not just a guy here passing time.