Veteran NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has told the Detroit Lions he is stepping away from football, shocking the team just 35 days before Dan Campbell's side is due to open its season against the New Orleans Saints.
Bridgewater, 33, has been placed on the reserve/retired list. He had been in line to serve as backup to starting Lions quarterback Jared Goff this season.
The Lions responded quickly, signing veteran Josh Dobbs to a one-year contract worth $1.425 million later on Sunday afternoon to take over as the new No. 2 quarterback.
Addressing the situation on Sunday, Campbell hinted that Bridgewater could be heading for retirement. He said he felt this was where things stood for Bridgewater right now, that this was where it needed to be and where Bridgewater felt he belonged, and that Bridgewater's biggest worry had been letting the team down. Campbell said that was the type of guy Bridgewater is, and that he meant a lot to the team.
A career that nearly ended in 2023
Bridgewater had previously called time on his NFL career back in 2023, only to return for the Lions the following season. Detroit picked him up as an unrestricted free agent in March after he appeared four times for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.
Bridgewater has also played for the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Louisville.
A Pro Bowl resume
A one-time Pro Bowl selection, Bridgewater has completed 1,380 of 2,082 passes for 15,182 yards and 75 touchdowns across 83 career games.
Campbell said he had known Bridgewater a long time and called him an unbelievable human being, praising the type of teammate he was, the way he prepared, and the heart he always played with. Campbell said Bridgewater would be missed.
