Teddy Bridgewater, Lions Reportedly Agree 1-Year Contract Worth Up to $5M
After spending one season with the Miami Dolphins, veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has agreed to a contract with the Detroit Lions, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
The one-year deal will be worth $2.5 million in guaranteed money and up to $5 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on April 8 that Bridgewater had received a "strong contract offer" from the Lions but was still mulling his decision. However, Detroit hosted him for a visit on July 24, which seems to have helped him make his decision.
In the end, Bridgewater gets to reunite with Detroit head coach Dan Campbell, who was a member of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff while he was on the team.
While spending the 2022 season as the primary backup to Tua Tagovailoa, Bridgewater appeared in five games and threw for 683 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 62.0 percent of his passes. Miami went 0-3 in games he started.
The 30-year-old's season came to an end when he suffered a broken finger in Week 17 against the New England Patriots. He would have been in line to start Miami's AFC Wild Card Game against the Buffalo Bills, as Tagovailoa had been placed in concussion protocol for the second time following the Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Instead, rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson started Miami's first playoff game since 2016, and the Dolphins went on to lose 34-31.
Bridgewater will be entering his 10th NFL season in 2023. The Lions will be his sixth team, as the 2014 first-round pick has also spent time with the Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos before joining Miami last offseason.
By signing the Louisville product, Detroit is adding a polished veteran who can provide some stability as a backup behind starter Jared Goff. The Lions are coming off a promising end to the 2022 campaign that has inspired confidence in the team's chances in the 2023 season. If necessary, Bridgewater should have no problems running the offense until Goff is ready to return.