Top 30 NFL free agents for 2019

27. Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater was on this list a year ago, as he hit free agency with one game of garbage time snaps for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2017 season, and lingering questions about how he’d be coming off a major knee injury late in the 2016 preseason.

A year later we’re essentially in the same place. Bridgewater signed with the New York Jets, then was traded to the New Orleans Saints late last preseason. He played 19 snaps as Drew Brees’ traditional backup through Week 16, before getting a start in a meaningless regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers. Multiple regulars were rested in that game, with nothing for the Saints to gain as the locked-in No. 1 seed in the NFC, and Bridgewater looked like he hadn’t started since a playoff game in January of 2016 in completing 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Even with a lackluster showing in what amounted to his only showcase for teams who’ll be looking for a quarterback this offseason, barring any action in what’s left of the playoffs, Bridgewater will have multiple suitors in a thin free agent market. It’s hard to see him being anointed the clear-cut starter somewhere, but as he gets further removed from his knee injury an opportunity to compete is coming.