Why the Chargers should sign Bridgewater
Bridgewater has a lot of things that a general manager would want from his starting quarterback. Draft pedigree, individual accolades and a playoff appearance are some of those.
Regarding his play on the field, he is known for his patience in the pocket, taking what the defense gives him, and while he used to post higher interception numbers in his early career, he is now known as a quarterback that takes care of the ball.
While his numbers don’t pop up on the stat sheet, he tends to make plays when needed in key moments. While he can be labeled as a mere game manager, his 22-12 record as a starter can not only be attributed to the talent of the squads he has been on, but to his decision making and execution in key moments.
He usually has a high completion percentage, which highlights his ability to move the sticks often and take his team down the field. That can also be attributed to the schemes he has played in.
Brees has posted a completion percentage over 70 percent the last four seasons, working in Sean Payton‘s offense which consists of a lot of screen passes and short underneath throws to Michael Thomas.
When Bridgewater tore his ACL, his replacement, Sam Bradford, broke the NFL single-season completion percentage record with a 71.6 percent mark working in the same offensive scheme under Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner.
Off the field, Bridgewater’s humble personality will fit perfectly with the Chargers’ locker room. He is a lead-by-example leader who is good with words and trusts his teammates. He is not afraid to step up in what he believes in and shows an amount of trust in his teammates to make plays that few quarterbacks display.
While Rivers had a lot of trust in his receivers, he could have trusted his offensive line a little bit more throughout the 2019 season. Bridgewater would be an upgrade in that department.
If the Chargers signed Bridgewater, they would immediately have a great leader not only for their team but for the community of Los Angeles. Few quarterbacks are as ideal to be the face of a franchise.
While his performance on the field isn’t as elite, he is good enough to win, as he has shown multiple times in the past.