Teddy Bridgewater returns to NFL after coaching high school… and joins his former team, the Detroit Lions
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is coming out of retirement and returning to the Detroit Lions, coach Dan Campbell confirmed Thursday.
He would provide experience and depth behind starter Jared Goff as the Lions (13-2) chased the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs. Hendon Hooker, a 2023 third-round pick, is Goff’s current backup.
Bridgewater, 32, played in one game (three snaps) for the Lions last season. He announced his retirement in February and spent the 2024 season coaching his alma mater Miami Northwestern High School to a Class 3A state championship in Florida.
He apparently had a big impact on rising wide receiver Jameson Williams.
“Teddy came in and he got my mind so focused on what I had to do,” Williams told Detroit’s Fox affiliate during training camp. ‘I was in the wrong place. Teddy came in and he helped me so much, man.
“He just came in and told me, ‘Do this, do that,’ how to do it, how to do this… He just helped me a lot [of ways]man. Off the field I couldn’t even explain how much he helped me. I think maybe that was the turning point.”
Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (17) during a 2023 preseason game
Now Bridgewater is about to return to the Motor City.
Bridgewater was a first-round pick by Minnesota in 2014 and a Pro Bowl selection with the Vikings in 2015. Bridgewater also played for the New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Carolina Panthers (2020), Denver Broncos (2021) and Miami Dolphins (2022). ) before joining the Lions in 2023.
Bridgewater has a 33-32 record as a starting quarterback, completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 15,120 yards with 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions in 79 games. He has also rushed for 844 yards and 11 scores.
Campbell told reporters Thursday that Bridgewater brings “professionalism” to the roster heading into the postseason. Campbell said the move is not due to a lack of confidence in Hooker, adding that the playoffs are “a different world.”
Detroit visits San Francisco (6-9) on Monday night before concluding the regular season with an NFC North showdown against the Minnesota Vikings (13-2) in Week 18.
Bridgewater led the Bulls to the Florida Class 3A state title in his first season as coach at Miami Northwestern High. The Bulls defeated Jacksonville Raines High 41-0 on Dec. 15 in the championship game.
“It’s great to be back on top,” Bridgewater said after leading the Bulls to their eighth state championship.
Campbell says Bridgewater brings “professionalism” to the roster heading into the postseason
His team finished the season 12-2 and defeated its five playoff opponents by a combined score of 262-12.
Bridgewater attended college at Louisville before playing in the NFL with six franchises over nine seasons. He finished his career with 15,120 yards and 75 touchdown passes.
Born and raised in Miami, Bridgewater started at quarterback for Miami Northwestern from 2008 to 2010, where he passed for more than 5,000 yards and led the Bulls to the state finals as a sophomore.
He developed into one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country before going on to a successful college career at Louisville. Minnesota selected Bridgewater with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, and he spent three years there before a gruesome knee injury nearly ended his career.