Teddy Bridgewater Stepping Away: How Backup QB Departure Impacts Lions

The Detroit Lions are losing a quarterback.

Teddy Bridgewater, a veteran who has been a well-respected member of the locker room for parts of three seasons, is stepping away from football according to head coach Dan Campbell.

Bridgewater and Campbell have a relationship dating back to their time together in New Orleans, where the passer backed up Drew Brees and Campbell was the tight ends coach. As a result, the Lions' coach showed some emotion and expressed appreciation for Bridgewater on Sunday.

"Teddy Bridgewater is going to step away. I've known Teddy a long time. The human being is unbelievable. Certainly, the player, everything that he's about," Campbell said. "The type of teammate he is, the way he prepares, always played the game up here and had a huge heart. He's gonna be missed. I'll never forget 2019 when Drew got injured. We had just gone out to the Rams, got beat out there, and Drew got his thumb. We lost him for five weeks. Teddy stepped in, we won five in a row, man. That was Teddy. Just his time being with us meant a lot, and meant a lot to our guys. He's gonna be missed."

Bridgewater initially came to Detroit in 2023, where he served as Goff's backup during the team's journey to the NFC Championship game. He initially announced his retirement at the conclusion of the season and returned home to coach at his alma mater high school in Florida.

After piloting his team to a state championship in his first season, Bridgewater returned to the Lions late in the 2024 season. He usurped Hendon Hooker as the backup, and appeared for a series in the team's Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders.

In 2025, Bridgewater signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to back up Baker Mayfield. He had signed with the Lions this offseason. Campbell noted that he feels Bridgewater's decision to step away could be permanent this time.

"I think only he can truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it's at for sure right now," Campbell said. "This is where it needs to be, where he felt and his biggest worry was letting us down. That's the type of guy he is, and he's not. That's as far as it can get. Meant a lot."

Bridgewater has carved out a solid career amidst some adversity. A first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, he started 25 games in his first two seasons before suffering a severe knee injury that forced him to miss most of the next two seasons.

After his rookie contract expired, Bridgewater would join the Saints as Brees' backup for two years. He would then become a journeyman, spending a year each in Carolina, Denver and Miami before landing with the Lions.

In his career, Bridgewater has made 83 appearances with 65 starts. He's thrown for 15,182 yards, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. Furthermore, he has developed a strong repuation for his leadership in the locker room particularly with young quarterbacks and wide receivers.

With Bridgewater gone, the Lions have just starter Jared Goff and undrafted free agent Luke Altmyer on the roster. Altmyer has gotten the heavy workload with the second team the last two practices with Bridgewater out, and will now be looked to handle that same level of action for the time being.

Campbell did note that the team plans to add a veteran, and could do so as soon as Monday.

"We're gonna add somebody. We like Luke. Luke is growing, Luke is getting better, he just needs reps. He needs a million reps," Campbell said. "With the reps that he's gotten he has improved. So we like him, but we are gonna add somebody, and we'd like to add a veteran quarterback. We're hoping something happens tomorrow, we'll see, but that's the plan."

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