Teddy Bridgewater Lands in the Vikings Division
Dustin Baker
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If something happens injury-wise to Jared Goff, the Minnesota Vikings could face an old friend once or twice in 2023, quarterback Teddy Bridgwater.
After several weeks of theories and a free-agent tryout, Bridgwater reportedly signed with the Detroit Lions on Monday.
Teddy Bridgewater Lands in the Vikings Division
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted Monday evening, “The Lions are signing QB Teddy Bridgewater after a recent visit to Detroit, sources tell me and Mike Garafolo. A new backup QB.”
Bridgewater worked out for the Lions two weeks ago, and with preseason games afoot, it was evidently time to lock in the QB2 for 2023. Here’s the Lions current QB room after the Bridgewater move:
- Jared Goff
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Nate Sudfeld
- Hendon Hooker
- Adrian Martinez
The Miami Dolphins were Bridgewater’s previous employer, as the former Viking served as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup in 2022. This is Bridgewater’s career resume to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2014–2017)
- New York Jets (2018)
- New Orleans Saints (2018–2019)
- Carolina Panthers (2020)
- Denver Broncos (2021)
- Miami Dolphins (2022)
- Detroit Lions (2023-present)
Minnesota selected Bridgewater in Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft as the then-long-term plan for Minnesota’s quarterback of the future. Bridgewater took over during his rookie season and immediately looked the part. One season later, combined with Mike Zimmer’s blossoming defense, Minnesota won the NFC North in 2015, and life was good.
But the summer of 2016 was a wildly different story. Bridgewater suffered a grisly knee injury right before the start of the regular season, then-GM Rick Spielman traded a 1st-Round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford, and Bridgewater’s career was forever altered.
Since leaving the Vikings after the freak injury in 2016-2017, teams led by Bridgewater are 16-21 (.432). Scaled to a 17-game season, Bridgewater has tossed 20 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions per year. In the past, those numbers would’ve been appetizing — like 20 years ago — but teams have learned that Bridgewater is best suited for QB2. That’s why he’ll back up Goff in 2023.
Bridgewater was arguably in peak form during a couple of spots in his career. First, in 2015, he earned Pro Bowl honors in just his second campaign, guiding the Vikings to that 2015 playoff appearance that was eventually tainted by a missed 27-yard game-winning field goal against the Seattle Seahawks.
When he landed with the Saints, Drew Brees was hurt for multiple games in 2019 — and the Saints were undefeated to the tune of 5-0 with Bridgewater in charge. That was the second peak of his nine-season career.
Detroit is the favorite to win the NFC North this season, per sportsbooks, with the Vikings scheduled for second place with eight or nine wins.
Bridgewater will turn 31 in November.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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