Former Denver Broncos starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is back in the National Football League.
Bridgewater, who retired after the 2023 season to coach his high school alma mater, has signed with the Detroit Lions. The news was first reported Thursday by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and confirmed by Lions coach Dan Campbell.
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A first-round pick back in 2014, Bridgewater would join the Broncos seven years later following stops in New Orleans and Carolina. He started 14 games for Denver, completing 66.9% of his passes for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while compiling a 7-7 record.
Bridgewater then spent the next two seasons as a backup in Miami and Detroit before calling it quits and opting to take the head-coaching job at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, whom he led to a Class 3A state title this month.
With one ring in tow, the 32-year-old is now shooting for another.
"My team knows that's the plan," Bridgewater said last week. "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. We'll see how it plays out."
Bridgewater is expected to compete with and likely overtake Hendon Hooker for the No. 2 QB gig behind Jared Goff. The Lions, widely considered Super Bowl favorites, currently hold the top seed in the NFC.
"[He brings] a certain level of comfort to us [and] it's great for our team," Campbell said of Bridgewater.
