Lions sign Teddy Bridgewater: Veteran quarterback comes out of retirement to join Detroit for postseason

Teddy Bridgewater returns to the NFL. The quarterback will come out of retirement to join the Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Campbell confirmed Thursday.

The 32-year-old teased a comeback earlier this month.shortly after leading his alma mater Miami Northwestern to a state title in his first year as a high school football coach and Campbell confirmed that the two have been in contact for a while.

The Lions were the last team he suited up, playing for them in 2023, and he joins them again as they look to make the playoffs. Campbell had nothing but positive things to say about his returning QB.

“To be able to add someone here who has experience, has been staying in shape, has been throwing… just brings a level of professionalism, veteran presence. Someone who is great for our team, great for the position,” he said. “…This gives us someone who has played a lot in the NFL.”

Jared Goff is Detroit’s starter and the quarterback room also includes second-year player Hendon Hooker. Former fifth-rounder Jake Fromm is the Lions’ practice squad quarterback.

Campbell stressed that this “doesn’t mean we’re disappointed in Hooker” and “it doesn’t mean Hooker is out.”

With the playoffs quickly approaching, Campbell felt this was a great opportunity to familiarize the team with someone who has that veteran presence and experience. Bridgewater “brings a certain level of comfort” to the coaches and they have that trust in him, given their previous relationship.

Campbell says he understands what it looks like, and people are wondering what this means for Hooker, but he said the playoffs are a “different world” and they want to have the depth to be ready for whatever happens.

The Lions have dealt with extensive injuries this year, with 21 players on injured reserve, so it’s not surprising that preparation for potentially sidelined players is on their mind.

Campbell has also seen what can happen to quarterbacks in the playoffs, with teams left thin at the position. He says this “absolutely” gives them a solid option for the emergency third quarterback and lessens his concerns about it.

“If something happens, you have the third one ready to go,” he said.

Aside from what he brings to the field, Campbell also said Bridgewater brings a lot as a leader.

“It’s great for our team. I think everyone in that locker room respects Teddy and what he represents, the type of human being he is, but also the type of player,” Campbell said. “…When you have guys that you feel like make everyone around them a little bit better, it’s hard not to have those guys around, or add them if you can.”

Bridgewater appeared in just one game for the Lions last season, but did not record a single pass attempt. Bridgewater, a 2014 first-round pick of the Vikings out of Louisville, also played for the Saints, Panthers, Broncos and Dolphins.

On December 17, Bridgewater made the surprise announcement that he was actively seeking to return to the league.

“We’ll see how these next weeks and a half, two weeks play out. We could sign with a team or something and then come back as a high school football coach in February. So we’ll see.”

Just over a week later, their plans are revealed. When he first talked about coming out of retirement, he noted that it doesn’t mean he’s done training.

“We wanted to win a state championship and then coach comes back to the league, see what happens and then come back in February in the offseason and continue coaching high school football. So we’ll see how it plays out,” Bridgewater said.

Bridgewater’s last starting job was in 2022 as a member of the Dolphins, where he went 0-2 with 683 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions on the year. For his career, Bridgewater has a starting record of 33-32, while throwing for 15,120 yards, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions.

The Lions have the second-best odds to win it all, according to Caesars Sportsbook, so Bridgewater has a chance to win a Super Bowl ring and a high school championship in the same year.