Everything We've Learned About Lions Backup QB Battle So Far in Training Camp

The Detroit Lions have an ongoing battle for the backup quarterback position, with the leader in the competition having an advantage in many areas.

Behind quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions have two options to be the backup in Teddy Bridgewater and Luke Altmyer. Bridgewater is the one with the upper hand in many ways, as he has over a decade of experience compared to Altmyer being in his first season.

Not only is Bridgewater the more experienced of the two, he also is in his third year with the Lions. He spent the entire 2023 season with the team, then came out of retirement to join the team late in the 2024 season.

After a year with Tampa Bay, Bridgewater is back in Honolulu Blue hoping to help the team once again. His time with the organization has helped create a solid rapport with many of the team's veterans, and he is highly thought of as a leader.

Over his time in Detroit, Goff has had a solid connection with Bridgewater. They share ideas leading up to game day, and the veteran's leadership shows up in between series on the sideline.

"It's very valuable. His value to me personally shows up on game day. He'll tell me the truth. He'll tell me sometimes what I don't want to hear, but then he'll also confirm when I'm right about what I'm seeing and whatnot," Goff said during an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio. "I do trust him tremendously with his eyes and what he's seeing on the sideline. Then, he'll have ideas throughout the week which has been fun in the past, where he'll throw an idea out and wind up hitting it on game day. He's got so much experience, so some of the stuff that he comes up with is really good and he can help in that way too."

While Bridgewater has the leg up at this point, he has missed the last two days of practice leading to more opportunities for Altmyer. The Illinois product has been up and down in his opportunities, and still has room to grow in many areas.

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Still, a solid performance in offseason workouts has generated some buzz for the undrafted free agent. He'll likely get plenty of snaps in the preseason, and a good showing could start to heat up the competition.

So far, Altmyer has made a good impression on his coaches and teammates, including Goff.

"He's done a really good job. Really picking it up quickly and operating the offense at a good pace which is I think probably what you want to see from a rookie," Goff said. "Gets in and out of the huddle, calls the play right, snaps the ball on time and throws it where it's supposed to go typically. He's awesome to have in the room, and I like Luke a lot."

At this stage, Altmyer is still facing a significant uphill battle to catch Bridgewater for the backup job. However, with good showings, he could make a serious argument for the Lions to carry a third passer on the active roster into the regular season.

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