Panthers new head coach Matt Ruhle addressed the decision to dump Cam Newton in favor of Teddy Bridgewater. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Rhule: Teddy Bridgewater a better fit for Panthers than Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule made his conversation discussing the release of Cam Newton more about Teddy Bridgewater than anything.

Obviously, the decision to cut Newton wasn't an easy one for Rhule, but he said that Bridgewater was the better option moving forward, according to ESPN's David Newton:

"I have no doubt that he will play well. He is a great quarterback and we have all seen the things that he has done. I just think as we move forward we thought this was the right time for us. We saw the opportunity to get Teddy and really felt like he was the right fit for us. We went ahead and made that call, not an easy call, but one we thought was the best one moving forward."

The Panthers ended up signing Bridgewater to a three-year, $63 million deal in March because Newton proved unreliable over the last few years with injuries.

However, when asked if that indeed was the case, Rhule said the decision was made to sign Bridgewater because of his past experience working with offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Brady worked with Bridgewater during the 2018 season in New Orleans as an offensive assistant, and their relationship played a huge role in Rhule's decision.

While Bridgewater is gearing up for the 2020 season, Newton is, unfortunately, still looking for a starting gig in the NFL. With many teams having some sort of idea on how things will roll this season, Newton may be out of luck...unless he wants to land a backup gig. 

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