Despite being considered a potential No. 1 overall pick in a draft in which as many as 13 teams could be looking to add a quarterback, Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater said he remains undecided whether he will turn pro or return for his senior season with the Cardinals.
"I've been hearing all these stories that I've made a decision -- I haven't made a decision," Bridgewater told ESPN on Monday. "I will talk to my mom and the coaches before making my decision. I'm not leaning either way."
Bridgewater, a junior, said he would make his draft decision a few days after Louisville plays Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Jan. 15.
If Bridgewater returns, he would join Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Baylor's Bryce Petty among top draft-eligible quarterbacks who have passed on the 2014 draft. Other underclassmen such as Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel and Ohio State's Braxton Miller remain undecided.
Bridgewater (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) has thrown for 3,523 yards with 28 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he completed 70.2 percent of his passes. Several experts consider him the top-rated quarterback in this year's class, but some, including NFL Media analysts Charles Davis and Daniel Jeremiah, believe he has been overhyped.
"I think sometimes we artificially boost these guys up because people are just terrified," Davis said. "What's the alternative? What do we do? Where do we go?"
A Houston writer wrote Sunday that he believes the Texans, who would have the No. 1 pick if the season ended today, should pass on Bridgewater for South Carolina star Jadeveon Clowney.
Reports that Bridgewater was thinking about staying in school first surfaced Friday. NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt, for one, says he would be shocked if Bridgewater chooses to return.
