Teddy Bridgewater has had a long road to becoming the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers.

Bridgewater was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the final pick of the first round in the 2014 NFL Draft. In just his second season, he made the Pro Bowl and led the Vikings to an 11-5 record.

But Bridgewater sustained a torn ACL during training camp prior to the 2016 season, and he would eventually be relegated to the role of backup.

However, the journey did not end there. Bridgewater changed uniforms prior to the 2018 season, becoming a backup for the New Orleans Saints. One year later, he was thrust into the starting role after Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury in Week 2.

Bridgewater proceeded to go undefeated in five starts, almost guaranteeing his status as a marquee free agent come March. He eventually signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Panthers.

According to former Vikings teammate Brian Robison, Bridgewater's comeback story is one of “hope” for Carolina (via David Newton of ESPN):

“Teddy represents hope … No matter how down times get, his story shows us there’s always an ability to be able to come back from it.”

Bridgewater also represents the face of a franchise in transition.

The Panthers signed Bridgewater after deciding to move on from former icon Cam Newton, bringing in Bridgewater to pair with rookie head coach Matt Rhule and inspire a new direction on offense.

Carolina also signed former New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson to join a group that already consists of D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel, not to mention All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.

In the end, however, it is the hope that Bridgewater can be an elite starting quarterback that will keep Panthers fans excited heading into the 2020 season.