Teddy Bridgewater steps away from Lions, leaving question at backup QB

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has stepped away from football.

“His biggest worry was letting us down, that’s the type of guy he is," Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said Sunday, when Bridgewater was placed on the reserve/retired list.

The 33-year-old journeyman had signed a one-year deal with the Lions in March after spending 2025 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also spent 2023 and part of 2024 with Detroit.

“So I’ve known Teddy a long time. As a human being he is unbelievable. Certainly as a player, everything that he’s about, the type of teammate he is, the way he prepares. He always played the game up here," an emotional Campbell said, pointing to his head. “He had a huge heart. He’s going to be missed."

Campbell, who was assistant head coach with the New Orleans Saints when Bridgewater played there in 2018 and 2019, has maintained a close relationship with the quarterback.

“I’ll never forget 2019 when Drew (Brees) got injured. We’d just gone out to the Rams, got beat out there and Drew got his thumb and we lost him for five weeks," Campbell said. “Teddy stepped in and we won five in a row. That was Teddy. His time being with us meant a lot, and it meant a lot to our guys. He’s going to be missed."

Bridgewater had been signed to back up Jared Goff. Undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer, the only other QB on the Lions roster, had been getting more reps in training camp earlier this week when Bridgewater was absent, and again on Sunday.

“I thought he did some really good things," Campbell said. “He was put in some tough positions for a young player that you absolutely have to be put in, you just do, you’ve got to be thrust in, you need to fail, you need to make mistakes so you can grow and we thought he handled it really well.”

Altmyer said he has learned so much from Bridgewater.

“It was a joy to spend some time with him, but it brings about opportunity for myself, and the standard is to play good football no matter how many reps and or whatever my role is, I have a job to do and my job is to do that very, very well at a high level," Altmyer said. “I’m thankful. I believe in my abilities and I’m going to go cut it loose whatever that looks like for me.’’

The Lions plan to sign a veteran quarterback as soon as Monday.

Campbell said Goff will not play in the preseason game Thursday in Cincinnati.

“Certainly Altmyer will take a heavy load and anybody else we get we’ll get them up to speed as fast as we can and give them some reps," Campbell said.

Bridgewater was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and started 28 games his first two seasons. Before the 2016 season he tore his ACL and suffered more structural knee damage that kept him out of action into the 2017 season. Bridgewater also played for the Dolphins, Broncos, Panthers and Jets.

In 2024, before he re-signed with the Lions in December, Bridgewater coached Miami Northwestern Senior High, his alma mater, to the Florida Class 3A state championship. But he was suspended for the 2025 season after revealing that he personally paid for meals, ride-share services and treatments for some players.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL