Teddy Bridgewater Is Back in the League
For a brief moment on Monday night, it appeared as if the Vikings might be able to hire an old friend to end their backup QB struggles. There were some rumblings that Teddy Bridgewater, the former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, would make an NFL return.
Teddy Bridgewater Is Back in the League
Sam Howell will keep his job until further notice, however, as Mr. Bridgewater is apparently headed to Tampa Bay.
Adam Schefter reported Tuesday morning, “Veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater is visiting Tampa today, and is expected to sign with the Buccaneers, per sources. The Buccaneers will be Bridgewater’s 8th NFL team, and his third NFC South team to go along with the Saints and Panthers.”
Bridgewater appeared in the news last month when Northwestern High School suspended him from his coaching job. ESPN reported at the time, “Bridgewater posted earlier this month on Facebook that he paid for Uber rides, meals and recovery services for his players last season. He asked fans to donate to help cover such expenses this year.”
He coached the team all the way to a state championship. Following the high school season, Bridgewater returned to the NFL once again, signing with the Detroit Lions for the playoff push a second consecutive year. That run ended earlier than expected with a postseason defeat against Jayden Daniels’ Washington Commanders, and Bridgewater was back on the market.
Initially, Bridgewater had announced during the 2023 campaign his decision to call it a career after that season. But it didn’t last, which is fair considering the passer is still only 32 years old.
Schefter added Monday, “Tampa needed another quarterback because Buccaneers QB Michael Pratt has been dealing with a back injury. Plus, Bridgewater always has been widely respected and a player others want on their roster. Now Tampa adds QB help and another leader.”
Baker Mayfield is the obvious starter, but he got banged up last week. Behind him, the club employs Kyle Trask, Michael Pratt, and Connor Bazelak. Without Pratt, the Buccaneers wanted to have another arm in camp and the preseason. It remains to be seen whether the veteran will take Trask’s QB2 job or if his job description contains QB3 duties.
Bridgewater was a promising draft prospect in 2014, when the Vikings left the first round of Mike Zimmer’s first draft with the passer and linebacker Anthony Barr. Only one of the two became a cornerstone of the Zimmer era.
Teddy’s time in Minnesota remains a huge “what if” story. The start of his career looked promising once the rookie stepped onto the field (during the injury-related absence of starter Matt Cassel), without suspended franchise player Adrian Peterson taking the pressure off his shoulders. In 13 games (12 starts), Bridgewater tabulated 2,919 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while adding roughly 200 yards and another score on the ground.
In his sophomore season, Minnesota’s number five racked up 3,231 passing yards, 14 touchdowns (plus three rushing), and nine picks. Pedestrian numbers were enough to guide the Vikings into the postseason with the league’s leading rusher, Peterson, and Mike Zimmer’s emerging defense. Zimmer needed a game-manager, and Bridgewater was just that—a match made in heaven.
The young quarterback found himself at a crossroads. Would he remain the kind of passer who doesn’t lose games for his team but also can’t lead them to victory—a game manager—or was he capable of more? Early signs during the 2016 preseason were promising until disaster struck.
The infamous knee injury that no Vikings fan will ever forget. The starting quarterback destroyed his knee because of a non-contact injury in practice, costing him his 2016 season but, fortunately, not his career. Regardless, the moment derailed his time in Minnesota.
It was Sam Bradford’s team for a year, Case Keenum’s for another, and Kirk Cousins followed the quarterback carousel for six seasons. Bridgewater left in the 2018 offseason. He has since had stints with the Jets, Saints, Panthers, Broncos, Dolphins, Lions, and now, the Buccaneers.
The quarterback played in 30 games with the Vikings, starting in 28. He threw for 6,150 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. He has produced 75 passing TDs and 15,120 yards in his career.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.