After officially announcing his retirement in February, Teddy Bridgewater returned to the NFL, re-signing with the Detroit Lions to serve as Jared Goff’s backup.
Bridgewater had been coaching his alma mater to a state championship but decided to come back for Detroit’s playoff run, and then he’ll resume coaching after the postseason.
He continues his journey with the Lions, with whom he spent the 2023 season. Now, after Goff took a hard hit in the Lions’ Divisional Round showdown against the Washington Commanders, Bridgewater entered the game.
Why Did Teddy Bridgwater Retire?
The 32-year-old quarterback suffered a devastating injury in Aug. 2016. He dislocated his knee and had a torn ACL that cut short his 2016 season.
While he did return next year with the Vikings, he never really looked the same. He played his first full season as a quarterback in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers and posted a dismal 4-11 record, throwing for 15 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Moreover, his continuous subjection to concussions also played a part in calling his career.
“I almost had my leg amputated… I don’t want my son’s last image of me being carted off the field on a stretcher,” Bridgewater said in an interview with FSP Network.
NEWS: Former #NFL QB Teddy Bridgewater talks about why he retired at just the age of 31
“I almost had my leg amputated. I don’t want my son’s last image of me being carted off the field on a stretcher.”
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(FSP Network, @vikingzfanpage)
pic.twitter.com/K6w1IXbF1L— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 20, 2024
Following the 2021 season with the Denver Broncos, during which he went 7-7, he was removed from the starting lineup. He signed with the Miami Dolphins for the 2022 season and ultimately with Detroit in 2023.
For his career, Bridgewater threw for 15,120 passing yards, 75 passing touchdowns, and 47 interceptions.
Interestingly, the quarterback already decided what he would do once he retired.
Bridgewater Coaches His Alma Mater to State Title
After initially retiring, he turned to coaching at the high school level.
In February following the NFC Championship Game, Bridgewater was named the coach for Miami Northwestern High School, his alma mater. In his first season, he led the school to the Class 3A Florida High School Athletic Association state title.
Bridgewater plans to resume coaching at his alma mater once the playoffs are over. However, he is also drawing interest from other schools given the terrific job he did at Miami Northwestern High School.
While Bridgewater seems like he has a bright coaching future, he is currently focused on the task at hand: providing depth behind Goff and helping the Lions hoist the Lombardi Trophy.