Bridgewater did not specifically address the part of the question that concerned whether he’d be willing to mentor another young quarterback, though that one enters the realm of, “What’s he supposed to say?”

Despite the late struggles, Bridgewater still has the support of players around him, and one of the most important pieces for potential offensive improvement was firm in his response.

Asked if he’d be confident entering next year with Bridgewater at quarterback, McCaffrey replied: “Yes, I would.”

“And I think Teddy’s a great leader,” McCaffrey continued. “I think for me, that’s one thing I notice is poise. Through good times and bad times, he’s poised, he’s always trying to get better. He corrects his mistakes and moves forward, and he’s a great leader.”

Rhule wasn’t ready to commit to anything, a reasonable position on the day after a long