New Orleans Saints News: Will Teddy Bridgewater Start vs. Panthers?

The New Orleans Saints (13-2) will be without their future Hall of Fame quarterback on Sunday, but Saints fans have a reason to be happy about that. With the top seed in the NFC secured, the Saints will give Drew Brees a day off and give Teddy Bridgewater a chance to shine against the Carolina Panthers (6-9), the team announced Friday.

Bridgewater will get his first chance to start a game since early 2016, when he played for the Minnesota Vikings. He drove the Vikings into position to kick a short, game-winning field goal against the Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card playoff game, which kicker Blair Walsh famously missed.

Injuries kept Bridgewater off the field for most of the two following seasons. He signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets this past offseason, but was traded to the Saints after Sam Darnold secured the starting job there.

The 26-year-old quarterback was a first-round pick out of Louisville in 2014. The Panthers will also start a new quarterback on Sunday, as undrafted rookie Kyle Allen will get a shot following injuries to Cam Newton and Taylor Heinicke.