The details of the New York Jets’ deal with Teddy Bridgewater are out, and the level of commitment is clear.
Any time the length and money in an NFL contract are announced, the devil is in the details attached to guaranteed money and bonuses. The one-year deal Teddy Bridgewater signed with the New York Jets was eventually deemed to be worth “up to” $15 million, and now the exact breakdown is out there.
According to multiple reports, Bridgewater got a $500,000 signing bonus with a $5 million non-guaranteed base salary and $9 million incentives.
Alongside their signing of Bridgewater, the Jets also brought back Josh McCown on a one-year, $10 million deal last week. With a trade over the weekend with the Indianapolis Colts to get the No. 3 pick in April’s draft, there’s a strong possibility the Jets have their eye on one of the top quarterback prospects. So Bridgewater is part of what is sure to be a clogged depth chart, with nothing promised to him.
Teddy Bridgewater's one-year Jets contract guarantees him only $500,000. That's his signing bonus. He gets a $5M non-guaranteed salary and a $500k workout bonuses. Incentives up to $9M for playing time, yards and TDS. https://t.co/USazyUSMv6
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 19, 2018
Interesting that Teddy Bridgewater's one-year deal with the Jets includes only $500,000 in guarantees (his signing bonus). His $5M salary is not guaranteed, plus he can earn another $9 million in incentives.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) March 19, 2018
For $500,000 the Jets can get a look at Bridgewater during offseason work, into training camp and right through the preseason with no commitment to him at all. McCown has reportedly already been told he’ll be the starting quarterback, which will probably only change before Week 1 if an aforementioned highly regarded rookie is deemed ready to go.
Next: NFL Free Agency 2018: Updates and grades
After a major knee injury led to him only playing a few snaps over the last two seasons, Bridgewater was sure to find a tepid free agent market. If the Vikings willingly letting him leave wasn’t enough to show a lot of doubt about his immediate and long-term prospects, the Jets basically bringing him in for a tryout is more than enough.