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According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the San Francisco 49ers have called the Carolina Panthers to inquire about quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
"San Francisco is among the teams that have called Carolina to gauge the Panthers' interest in potentially trading Bridgewater, according to league sources,"
wrote Person. "San Francisco general manager John Lynch indicated last week the 49ers would like to find a solid backup as insurance for oft-injured starter Jimmy Garoppolo."
Person notes that USA Radio Network host Dan Sileo first reported the news last weekend, which apparently fell through the cracks.
While the report from The Athletic points out that the 49ers are looking to upgrade the backup quarterback spot, Bridgewater's contract earns him starting money. He has a base salary of $17 million in 2021 and $20 million in 2022.
Lynch said on the
Eye Test for Two podcast last week that San Francisco has to have better backup options in place should Garoppolo miss time again, but reiterated that the 49ers have faith that
Garoppolo will be the quarterback in September.
"Though, being available is a big part of this thing," Lynch said. "So ... we probably, as a stated goal, we have to insulate ourselves better, and we have to have better options if he's not there."
Added Lynch: "When he's healthy, he's played at a high level. But we probably have to add someone. We probably need to improve ourselves, so if he's not there we're all right … we can win games."
Person adds that the Panthers aren't in a hurry to trade their quarterback. The team is waiting to see how their offseason unfolds before making any decision on Bridgewater. Carolina is among the teams expected to try to upgrade the quarterback position. That could come via a trade or the draft.
The Minnesota Vikings drafted Bridgewater out of Louisville with the No. 32 overall pick in 2014. He completed 340-of-492 attempts (69.1 percent) for 3,733 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions through 15 games with the Panthers in 2020.
Bridgewater, 28, has completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 11,385 yards with 53 touchdowns and 36 interceptions through his six NFL seasons. He spent three seasons with the Vikings, and then two with the New Orleans Saints before signing a three-year deal with Carolina in 2020.
Bridgewater was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015.
Related News
On Wednesday, Chat Sports contributor Chase Senior reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He further stated that the Steelers are confident they can finalize a deal for the star player.
REPORTS: The Pittsburgh Steelers are aggressively pursuing a Brandon Aiyuk trade and the Steelers would be "surprised" if they don't land Aiyuk. Of note: Pittsburgh has the 20th overall pick. The Niners could look at that as equal value for Aiyuk if they can't get a deal done.…
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
