Lions’ Teddy Bridgewater enjoying final season before retiring،
Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is ending his NFL career, telling the Detroit Free Press he plans to retire after the season.
Bridgewater was a little-used backup to Jared Goff during his lone season with the Lions, appearing in one game to earn a win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 5. But Bridgewater, 31, indicated that he had no problem with his role.
“What was intended for me, it turned out exactly as planned,” Bridgewater told the Free Press in an article published Saturday. “And I'm still in that mindset every day, and I'm really enjoying being in 10th grade. I tell everyone it's my senior year, so I'm in my senior year and I Just enjoy it all, man.
A first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater's career was derailed by a torn ACL and dislocated knee suffered during training camp in 2016; he missed all of that season and most of 2017 before leaving the Vikings. He spent two seasons with the Saints (2018-19), started 29 games over two seasons for the Carolina Panthers (2020) and Denver Broncos (2021) and served as Tua Tagovailoa's backup with the Dolphins. Miami last season, when he was limited by further injuries.
“When I got injured, I realized I was only a football player for three hours on a Sunday afternoon,” Bridgewater said. “Other than that, I'm Theodore Bridgewater, so that put everything into perspective, and it really helped me not even have to think about not being a starter. [anymore]. It's like, “Man, I always have a goal.” And my goal is bigger than football. Football is just a platform that I have.”
Bridgewater told the newspaper he considered retiring after the 2022 season, but conversations with Lions coach Dan Campbell and other existing connections on the team convinced him to play a year of more in Detroit.
After retirement, Bridgewater plans to coach high school football and focus on being a father to his two sons.
As the Lions (9-4) battle their way to a likely first playoff berth since 2016, Bridgewater said he will cherish his final moments in the NFL.
“Everybody sees the wins and the losses, and it’s the small victories, the daily victories that take place in this locker room,” he told the Free Press. “You're talking about a young team, quick to run to their phones after practice, after games, and you see guys who like to mingle and just have conversations. Ping pong, card table, cornhole. guy sitting on the couch. Like, this is it. This is the league I came into, and I'm happy to be able to see and be a part of this great locker room.
