After more than a decade in the NFL, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is stepping away from football once again, informing the Detroit Lions on Sunday of his decision to retire, head coach Dan Campbell confirmed on Sunday.
“I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable. Certainly, the player, everything that he’s about. The type of teammate he is, the way he prepares … always played the game up here and had a huge heart,” Campbell told reporters. “He’s gonna be missed.”
This is the second time Bridgewater has retired from professional football. Following his retirement after the 2023 season, he took over as head coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where he helped lead the program to a Class 3A state title.
But after the conclusion of Miami Northwestern’s 2024 season, Bridgewater unretired and re-joined the Lions for the conclusion of their 2024 campaign. He played the entirety of the 2025 NFL season, spending the year as Baker Mayfield’s backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bridgewater, now 33, opted to join Detroit again back in March. But this return was short-lived, as he was officially placed on the reserve/retired list on Sunday morning, likely ending his playing career for good.
“I think he can only truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it’s at for sure right now. This is where it needs to be and where he felt,” Campbell said when asked if he thought Bridgewater could unretire again. “And his biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guy he is and he’s not.”
Bridgewater’s retirement leaves undrafted Illinois rookie Luke Altmyer as the only remaining quarterback on the roster behind starter Jared Goff.
After being drafted at No. 32 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 NFL Draft, he carved out a long NFL career. Bridgewater spent time in the league with the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins before his stints with the Lions and Buccaneers over the last few seasons.
Over his 11-year career, Bridgewater posted a 33-32 starter record, completing 66.3% of his passes for 15,182 yards, 75 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions. His best season came in 2015, when he earned Pro Bowl honors and led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and an NFC North title.
The turning point of Bridgewater’s career came in 2016, when he suffered a career-threatening injury during training camp. He sustained a gruesome, non-contact left knee dislocation, tearing several ligaments, most famously including his ACL.
The gruesome injury threatened not only Bridgewater’s career, but his leg as well, with doctors fearing for a potential amputation at the time. He missed the entire 2016 season and suited up for just a few snaps in a game in 2017 before becoming a free agent that offseason.
Whether Bridgewater returns to the high school sidelines remains to be seen. But his sudden retirement forces the Lions to explore the market for an experienced backup quarterback with the start of the NFL season less than a month away.
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