Teddy Bridgewater: Staying with Saints about growing “as a player”

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Teddy Bridgewater could have been handed a starting job this offseason, or at least entered into a winnable competition.

He chose to be a backup, because he thought that was the better job.

Via Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the veteran quarterback said his decision to stick with the Saints rather than sign with the Dolphins was about his long-term plan.

“This is the best opportunity for me to grow as a player,” Bridgewater said.

While backing up Drew Brees means he only gets reps in case of jewelry trials or disasters, Bridgewater found a level of comfort with the Saints last year, clearly had genuine fun being there, and said he developed as a player.

“As a competitor you want to be out there starting and competing,” Bridgewater said. “But I just sat back and I weighed my options and thought about what would be best for me.

“This is an opportunity for me to grow, continue to learn and expand my mental capacity as a football player.”

There’s no guarantee he’ll eventually succeed Brees, but working with a talented coaching staff and having as much fun as he’s obviously having makes it worth the wait for him.