ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has decided to step away from the team amid training camp and was officially placed on the reserve/retired list ahead of Sunday’s practice.
Head coach Dan Campbell stated he believes that this retirement could stick for Bridgewater, who had previously retired after the 2023 season only to return to the Lions the next season.
“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,” Campbell stated. “And his biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guy he is and he’s not.
“That’s as far as it can get. He meant a lot.”
“I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable. Certainly, 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 gonna be missed.”
Dan Campbell, on Teddy Bridgewater
Detroit signed Bridgewater as an unrestricted free agent in March to serve as a backup for Jared Goff in what would have been his third stint with the organization.
Bridgewater, 33, was viewed as a respected leader and mentor to players in the Lions’ locker room but has missed the last two practices for an undisclosed reason. He was a familiar face in Detroit as he was previously Goff’s backup in 2023 then again in 2024.
Last season, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he appeared in four games and completed 8 of 15 passes for 62 yards.
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In his career, he has played for the Buccaneers (2025), Miami Dolphins (2022), Denver Broncos (2021), Carolina Panthers (2020), New Orleans Saints (2018-19) and Vikings (2014-17) after entering the league as a first-round selection for Minnesota out of Louisville in the 2014 NFL draft.
The one-time Pro Bowler completed 1,380 of 2,082 passes (66.3%) for 15,182 yards and 75 touchdowns with a 90.3 passer rating in 83 career games, where he logged 65 starts.
“I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable. Certainly, 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,” Campbell stated. “He’s gonna be missed.”
Undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer will now continue in the QB2 role behind Goff and is expected to take heavy snaps during Detroit’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. The Lions will be signing another quarterback soon for depth purposes.
“We like Luke. Luke is growing. Luke is getting better. He just needs reps. He needs a million reps, but the reps that he has gotten to this point, he has improved,” Campbell stated. “So, we like him, but we are gonna add somebody and we’d like to add a veteran QB and we’re hoping maybe something happens tomorrow … we’ll see.”
