Teddy

Bridgewater

The Buccaneers will work out an injury settlement for Trask, as he’s currently dealing with a shoulder issue. A second-round pick for some reason in 2021, Trask has been the backup quarterback for the Bucs over the last four seasons, but that honor will now apparently go to Teddy Bridgewater. Trask is likely a practice squad player for a new organization in the coming days.

The signing is contingent on Bridgewater passing his physical. Bridgewater leaves high school coaching to join his seventh NFL team. He was most recently on the Lions roster but didn’t see any playing time behind Jared Goff. His most recent production came in 2022, when Bridgewater threw for 683 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions for the Dolphins. Bridgewater, 32, would presumably compete with Kyle Trask for backup duties in 2025.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first. Bridgewater, who is fresh off coaching Miami Northwestern High School to a Class 3A state championship in his first season with the team, is now back to help the Lions with a postseason run that they hope ends with an NFL championship. The former first-rounder spent last season with the Lions after stints with the Panthers, Broncos, and Dolphins in previous seasons but did not attempt a pass in his lone year with the team. Bridgewater will immediately join the Lions’ 53-man roster and could soon be named as the QB2 over Hendon Hooker.

Bridgewater last played in the NFL for the Lions last season, playing just three snaps in a reserve role. The 32-year-old was last a full-time starter for the Broncos in 2021, battling injuries since being drafted by the Vikings in 2014. He retired to coach his high school alma mater and came away with a state championship. Now, he tells Pelissero and Rapoport “we’ll see how [the] next week and a half, two weeks play out, might be signing with a team or something.” The likelihood Bridgewater becomes a contributor at this point of the NFL season is low, but he has the desire to return to an NFL quarterback room. With 15,120 career passing yards and 75 touchdowns, Bridgewater would bring a veteran presence to any team that signs him.

Bridgewater is planning to coach high school football. Always in-between starting and “bridge” status, Bridgewater is only 31 but has had a “football life"-type career, including devastating injury setbacks. Bridgewater has had increasing difficulty staying healthy in recent seasons. It is probably a good decision to hang ‘em up while currently healthy. Bridgewater could still have another big moment or two in store for the playoff-bound Lions. He seems like someone bound to stay around the game, perhaps in a professional coaching capacity after he gets his feet wet at the high school level.

Bridgewater signed with the Lions following a successful workout earlier in the day and brings a veteran presence familiar with head coach Dan Campbell to the team. He should immediately step into the backup quarterback role for a Detroit roster devoid of experience behind starter Jared Goff. The Lions offered Bridgewater a contract in April but the two sides could not come to terms. Bridgewater had moderate success behind Tua Tagovailoa in Miami prior to injury in 2022 and also played well for the Broncos and Panthers during the 2021 and 2020 seasons, respectively.

The Lions offered a contract to Bridgewater back in April, but nothing materialized beyond that. With training camps now starting up, Bridgewater would make for a reliable backup for the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell, who worked with Bridgewater when then two were on the Saints. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides come to an agreement in the near future.

Bridgewater has interest as a backup from multiple teams. Signing with Detroit would reunite Bridgewater with HC Dan Campbell, who was on the Saints’ staff when Bridgewater was in New Orleans. It’s possible Bridgewater waits until after the draft to sign with a team.

Louis-Jacques notes that the lingering concern over Tua Tagovailoa’s availability proves that the Dolphins still need a “high-level, preferably veteran, backup,” and that Bridgewater isn’t likely to find a starting job elsewhere. Bridgewater spent several weeks inactive with a “chronic” knee injury this year and it’s probably a bit of projection to consider him a high-level backup at this point, but that doesn’t mean the Dolphins shouldn’t be interested in shoring up the position behind Tagovailoa.

Bridgewater will only serve as Miami’s backup in this game. Skylar Thompson is the starter. Also inactive for the Dolphins are QB Tua Tagovailoa, RB Raheem Mostert, OL Kendall Lamm, OL Liam Eichenberg, CB Noah Igbinoghene, TE Tanner Conner, and OL Brandon Shell.