Vikings 1st-Round Talent Secures Spot with Eighth NFL Team
Teddy Bridgewater, a Vikings 1st-Round selection from the 2014 NFL Draft, has had a wild journey.
Recently, the quarterback was doing some good things as a high school coach (getting in trouble along the way for being generous with his players). He has now shifted gears, hanging up his coaching whistle in favor of putting the cleats back on. The decision appears to have been a good one.
Vikings 1st-Round QB Now a Bucs Passer
The top option in Tampa is Baker Mayfield. If, for some reason, the former Browns selection can’t go, then the Buccaneers are going to be asking Mr. Bridgewater to be the quarterback.
Jeremy Fowler (ESPN) offered the news in what was a chaotic couple of days for NFL news: “The #Bucs are making Teddy Bridgewater the primary backup to Baker Mayfield. Bridgewater came out of retirement to sign with Tampa on Aug. 5. Now, he’s QB2.”
Seeing Teddy Bridgewater earn a backup gig shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
The man is a winner. He’s beloved by his teammates and coaches. So, too, do fans like him. Bridgewater works hard, competes, and is very charming. No, he isn’t the world’s most gifted athlete and nor does he have a rocket-launcher for an arm (there is, after all, a reason why he’s not a starter). What he is, though, is someone who can command a huddle and keep a team winning. A perfect backup, in other words.
In an alternate universe — one where the knee injury didn’t permanently alter Bridgewater’s NFL trajectory — the Vikings’ 1st-Round passer could still be the top option.
Still only 32, Teddy Bridgewater earned starts in his rookie season. He went 6-6 while completing 64.4% of his passes for 2,919 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. His sophomore season was more promising, complete with an 11-5 record and trip to the postseason. The defense was dominant, allowing the 65.3% completion rate alongside 3,231 passing yards and 14 touchdowns to be enough to secure the NFC North.
Goodness, the passer even led what should have been a game-winning drive over the Seahawks. A brutal missed field goal resulted in the Vikings falling by a score of 10-9.
After Minnesota, Teddy Bridgewater travelled around the NFL. He has worked for the Saints, Jets, Panthers, Broncos, Dolphins, and Lions. He’s now with the Buccaneers, making it eight teams — 25% of the NFL — for Bridgewater.
As for the Vikings, news hasn’t been hard to come by.
Most notably, there was the trade bringing Adam Thielen back. But then one thinks of the Christian Darrisaw update, the poor injury news for Gavin Bartholomew, the various UDFAs making the team, and the broader update about the 53-man roster.
The Vikings and Buccaneers aren’t scheduled to play each other in 2025. There is, however, at least a plausible chance that the two teams could square off in the postseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
