Teddy Bridgewater Retires Again from NFL Amid Training Camp

NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has retired once more. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell shared the news on Sunday. Bridgewater was competing for the backup position behind Jared Goff during training camp. The Lions placed him on the reserve/retired list before their Sunday practice.

Campbell expressed the belief that this retirement might be final for Bridgewater. Previously, Bridgewater retired after the 2023 season but returned to the Lions in 2024. Campbell stated, “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. And his biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guy he is, and he’s not.”

As Bridgewater steps away, the Lions quickly signed Josh Dobbs, a seasoned player, to a $1.425 million contract with $475,000 guaranteed, according to NFL Network. Dobbs is familiar with the Lions, having been with them during the 2022 season. He recently served as a backup for Drake Maye with the AFC-winning New England Patriots. Dobbs is a dual-threat quarterback known for using his agility to gain yardage, contrasting with Goff’s pocket-passing style.

Bridgewater rejoined the Lions as a free agent in March after playing as a backup for Baker Mayfield with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025. He was expected to support Goff this season. Bridgewater’s leadership and mentorship abilities made him a valuable team player. Working with Goff in 2023 and 2024, he contributed to developing an explosive Lions offensive strategy.

Bridgewater was a first-round draft choice for the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 from Louisville. He was a Pro Bowl player early in his career. In his second season, he achieved an 11-5 record with 3,231 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, rushing for 192 yards with three rushing scores. However, his starting career was impacted by a severe knee injury in 2016.

After moving on from the Vikings, Bridgewater joined the New Orleans Saints in 2018, making six starts over two seasons. Later, he had a significant role with the Carolina Panthers in 2020, the Denver Broncos in 2021, and the Miami Dolphins in 2022.

Should this retirement be his final one, Bridgewater’s career includes throwing for 15,182 yards and 75 touchdowns over 83 games. His record as a starter is 33-32 across 11 seasons.

Campbell commented on Bridgewater’s impact, “I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable. 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. He’s going to be missed.”