Teddy Bridgewater is stepping away from football once again.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Sunday that the quarterback is stepping away from the team, and the team announced he has been placed on the reserved/retired list.
Bridgewater had been absent from practice on Thursday and Friday.
"He’s going to step away," Campbell said. "I’ve known Teddy a long time and, man, 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, and he’s going to be missed."
After spending the 2023 season as the backup quarterback in Detroit, Bridgewater announced his retirement before returning as the Lions' backup late in the 2024 season.
The former first-round pick from the 2014 NFL Draft spent last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before re-signing with the Lions in the spring.
During his career, Bridgewater has played for seven NFL teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Buccaneers and Lions.
The quarterback has appeared in 83 games with 65 starts, completing 66.3 per cent of his passes for 15,182 yards, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions, along with 848 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Bridgewater was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015 with Minnesota.
The Lions now have just two quarterbacks on their roster, starter Jared Goff and undrafted rookie free agent Luke Altmyer out of Illinois.
Campbell said the team plans to sign a veteran backup as early as Monday, and that player could play in the Lions' pre-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.
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