That agreement was reached Tuesday morning shortly after Panthers general manager Marty Hurny announced in a team statement that Carolina would seek a trade for nine-year starting quarterback Cam Newton.
The Bears had contract talks with Bridgewater's representation when the open negotiation period began Monday, Pro Football Talk reported, but he's now off their list of options -- and perhaps Newton is now a potential trade target for Chicago.
Bridgewater was 5-0 filling in as the Saints' starting quarterback when Drew Brees was injured last season, including a 36-25 win over the Bears on Oct. 20 at Soldier Field. Bridgewater completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 1,384 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions in 2019.