Teddy Bridgewater’s arrival reinforces New Orleans Saints’ ‘Super Bowl or Bust’ mindset

Hello Teddy Bridgewater.

Goodbye Tom Savage.

That became abundantly clear Wednesday when the New Orleans Saints acquired the fifth-year quarterback and a sixth-round pick (2019) from the New York Jets for a third-round pick (‘19).

Savage wasn’t/isn’t the short-term or the long-term answer at quarterback for the Saints as they prepare this season to challenge for Super Bowl LIII and also find a successor to the incomparable Drew Brees for seasons to come. And, current third-string QB Taysom Hill needs more seasoning and is more valuable on special teams right now.

Bridgewater’s arrival in the Big Easy at the end of the preseason is more intriguing than it is surprising. Neither Savage nor Hill distinguished himself.

Hill had his moments mostly as a runner/scrambler but isn’t ready to win in the NFL, and Savage didn’t find his niche and would have been a step down to both of the Saints last two backups — Chase Daniel and Luke McCown.

So, it made perfect sense for GM Mickey Loomis and Coach Sean Payton to sign a better insurance policy in the event Brees goes down. After all, the Saints are in it to win it this year as Payton’s pre-season slogan suggests — “Let’s Prove Them Right!’‘ — and Brees gives them the best chance.

I applaud Saints officials for this bold move. Once again, it shows they are serious about winning a second Lombardi Trophy, just like when they moved up 13 spots in the first round to select defensive end/pass rusher Marcus Davenport, a raw prospect from UT-San Antonio with upside.

Here are my concerns about the Bridgewater trade:

▪ He comes at a hefty price. The Saints inherit his one-year, $5 million base salary. Based on Brees’ modus operandi in New Orleans — one missed start due to injury in 12 seasons — Bridgewater may never see the field. But Bridgewater’s presence will allow Loomis and Payton to sleep more soundly.

That’s a catch-22 situation for the Saints. An every-down Brees is ideal but it also means Bridgewater never gets quality time under center, just like all the other backups before him.

▪ Though Bridgewater played well in the preseason, he still has played only one game during the past two seasons with Minnesota after suffering a catastrophic knee injury prior to the 2016 season. Brees, too, resurrected his career after suffering a potential career-ending shoulder injury in 2005 with San Diego.

Like Brees, Bridgewater also was taken with a 32nd draft pick; Brees in 2001 at the top of the second round, Bridgewater in 2014 at the bottom of the first round.

▪ Assuming Brees plays out the second year of his two-year, $50 million contract and Bridgewater chooses to enter free agency after the season, the Saints will be faced with a tough decision. Undoubtedly, Bridgewater will want to seek greener pastures so how do Saints officials fit both quarterbacks under their salary cap? Plus, Saints officials might be bidding on a player who has never taken snap in the Black and Gold uniform, or very few snaps at best.

If the Saints win Super Bowl LIII, it’s a moot point whether Bridgewater plays. Brees could retire, freeing up millions and paving the way for Bridgewater to enter into a long-term agreement with the Saints with Hill as the backup. If Brees stays and Bridgewater goes, the Saints are back to square one.

It appears Saints officials will cross those bridges when they come to them.

For now, it’s Super Bowl or Bust

“We are in the now,’‘ Loomis says.

Brian Allie-Walsh, a longtime Saints reporter based in New Orleans, can be reached at sports@sunherald.com.

This story was originally published August 30, 2018 at 1:34 PM.