NFL unretirements aren’t a new thing. Tom Brady did it, Brett Favre did it, and history is littered with examples of other players coming back for a second run in the league. But very rarely does a player come back after taking and succeeding in a head coaching role.
But that’s what happened with returning QB Teddy Bridgewater, who just signed with the Detroit Lions.
Shocking Return for Teddy Bridgewater Bookmarks Lions Campaign
Bridgewater recently revealed on NFL Network’s “The Insiders” that his plan is to come back until the end of this season and then return to his head coaching role at Miami Northwestern High School, where he’s already found immediate success.
QB Teddy Bridgewater coming out of retirement, expected to sign with Lions. (via @rapsheet, @tompelissero, @MikeGarafolo ) pic.twitter.com/PK6ShszNKO
— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2024
“My team knows that’s the plan. We wanted to win a state championship and then coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football,” Bridgewater said. “We’ll see how it plays out.”
Just a year ago, Bridgewater was a part of the Lions before officially calling it quits at the end of last season. Simultaneously, he had a plan in place for his post-playing career, with him becoming the head coach at his alma mater.
In his first season with his alma mater, Bridgewater and the Bulls found instant success, claiming the Class 3A Florida High School Athletic Association state title. His success was immediate validation for a nearly 10-year-long professional career.
After all, this was a player who came to the Minnesota Vikings right at the tail end of the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Going No. 32 overall, Bridgewater was thrust into a starting role after veteran Matt Cassell went down with an injury. He found immediate success as a rookie, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and adding 15 total touchdowns.
Bridgewater’s second season was even better. With 3,231 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, he led Minnesota to an 11-5 record and earned a Pro Bowl selection.
Unfortunately, a severe leg injury the following offseason limited Bridgewater to just one game played over the next two seasons. It was a devastating injury that the surgeon described as a “horribly grotesque injury… It’s almost like a war wound. Everything is blown.”
In 2018, Bridgewater signed with the New York Jets before being traded to the New Orleans Saints. In 2020 and 2021, he became a regular starter for the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, respectively, throwing for over 3,000 yards in each season.
A year-long stop with the Miami Dolphins and the Lions as backups to Tua Tagovailoa and Jared Goff, respectively, were the final years of Bridgewater’s career before he retired and took on the HC gig at Miami Northwestern.
Until now, that is.
For a Detroit team with the best offense in the NFL, Bridgewater should rarely see the field behind Goff. Still, he’ll provide insurance behind Goff and will attempt to win his first Super Bowl ring.
Why Did Bridgwater Retire in First Place?
The 32-year-old quarterback never really looked the same after he suffered that devastating injury in August 2016 when he dislocated his knee and tore his ACL.
He played his first full season as a quarterback in 2020 with the Panthers and posted a dismal 4-11 record, throwing for 15 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
Moreover, his continuous subjection to concussions and injuries also played a part in ending his career.
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.”
🙏
(FSP Network, @vikingzfanpage)
pic.twitter.com/K6w1IXbF1L— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 20, 2024
“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.
Following the 2021 season with the Broncos, during which he went 7-7, he was removed from the starting lineup. From that point on, he was a backup.
Now, he’s back in the NFL, and his fans are thrilled. Bridgewater aims to provide depth in the Lions’ quarterback room behind Jared Goff.