Teddy Bridgewater retires again from Lions in middle of training camp

NFL veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has once again retired from the game.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Sunday that Bridgewater, who was competing for the backup role to Jared Goff in the quarterbacks room, has decided to step away from the team in the middle of training camp.

The Lions officially placed Bridgewater on the reserve/retired list ahead of their Sunday practice.

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Campbell added that he believes retirement could stick this time for Bridgewater, who had previously retired following the 2023 season. But he quickly rejoined the Lions for the 2024 season.

“I think he can only truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it’s at for sure right now,” Campbell said, via ESPN. “This is where it needs to be and where he felt. And his biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guys he is, and he’s not.

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“That’s as far as it can get. He meant a lot.”

As a result, the Lions were reportedly quick to sign another journeyman, Josh Dobbs, to a $1.425 million contract with $475,000 fully guaranteed, per NFL Network. Dobbs is familiar with Detroit, having been on the team’s practice squad during the 2022 campaign.

Dobbs has also recently backed up Drake Maye with the AFC-winning New England Patriots a season ago. He is a dual-threat quarterback, having the ability to use his legs to pick up crucial yardage, which is the opposite of Goff’s game as a true pocket-passer.

As for Bridgewater, he joined the Lions again as an unrestricted free agent in March after backing up Baker Mayfield with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025. Bridgewater was expected to back up Goff this year, but the Lions have to pivot now.

One of the many reasons Bridgewater remains someone NFL teams want in their locker room is due to his mentorship abilities, understanding his role as a backup and helping the starter on a weekly basis before, during, and after the season. That includes working with Goff in 2023 and 2024, as he developed into one of the best pure passers in the league in an explosive Lions offensive scheme.

Teddy Bridgewater of the Detroit Lions looks to throw the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Aug. 19, 2023. (Getty Images)

Bridgewater, who was a first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 out of Louisville, was a Pro Bowler early in his career. In just his second season, he got the nod after going 11-5 with 3,231 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 192 yards with three scores.

But Bridgewater’s career was derailed, as a starter at least, when a horrific knee injury led to a left knee dislocation and a torn ACL during a practice just before the start of the 2016 season.

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Bridgewater would move on to the New Orleans Saints in 2018, getting six starts across two seasons before getting a heavier workload with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. He went 4-11 in Carolina before going 7-7 with the Denver Broncos the following year.

Bridgewater also played a season with the Miami Dolphins in 2022, going 0-2 in his only two starts with the franchise.

If this is officially Bridgewater’s last time on an NFL football field as a quarterback, he threw for 15,182 yards with 75 passing touchdowns over 83 games. He owned a 33-32 record as a starter across 11 seasons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (10) during an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 21, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (Icon Sportswire)

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“I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable,” Campbell said. “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 going to be missed.”