Teddy Bridgewater reportedly returning to NFL, signs for second stint with Detroit

Longtime NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is reportedly returning to professional sidelines, signing with the Detroit Lions as a backup on Thursday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Bridgewater was on the Lions in 2023.

He had retired from playing football for 2024, though, and returned to his high school alma mater, Miami Northwestern, as a head coach. Bridgewater led them to a state championship in Year 1, but is now getting back to playing.

Detroit has two games remaining in the NFL regular season and is vying for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

Bridgewater had broken the news of his return to Rapoport and Tom Pelissero on The Insiders. Although he’s enjoying a state championship, he said “the plan” is to get back on the field. He also intends to continue coaching, he said.

“That’s the plan,” Bridgewater said. “My team knows that’s the plan. We wanted to win a state championship and then coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football. We’ll see how it plays out.”

His Northwestern squad bested Jacksonville Raines High School, 41-0, to finish the year 12-2 and as the Class 3A state champions on Saturday evening. Raines entered Saturday’s contest 13-0.

Northwestern has lost just twice this season — an overtime heartbreaker to No. 4 Venice in August and a nailbiter against Miami Norland in September. Since the Norland loss, the Bulls have rattled off nine consecutive wins.

Throughout the winning streak, the Bulls have appeared to improve on both sides of the ball. They have blown through the postseason with winning margins of 69, 52, 48 and 40 points.

Bridgewater was named the coach at his alma mater earlier in 2024 after retiring from the NFL.

Bridgewater was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft after a storied college career at Louisville. After an injury derailed his time with the team, he bounced around the league, playing for the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins before taking his talents to Detroit.