Teddy Bridgewater appears to be calling it quits on his NFL career, this time for good.
Bridgewater informed the Detroit Lions that he is stepping away from the team and the NFL as a whole. The 33-year-old appears set to retire after initially planning to serve as Jared Goff’s backup in 2026.
#Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater has informed the team that he plans to step away from the team, with retirement likely. At age 33, Bridgewater was set to be Detroit’s backup. Now, they’ll work out a few QBs. pic.twitter.com/MpGhutmRlE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2026
Bridgewater initially retired after the 2023 season and accepted a high school coaching position in Miami. In 2025, he was controversially suspended for providing improper benefits to players, which he expressed no regrets about. The suspension prompted him to return to the NFL, first with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and again with the Lions this offseason.
Obviously, Bridgewater had a change of heart. The 33-year-old already beat the odds by coming back from a devastating knee injury to have a long NFL career at all. Perhaps he will return to coaching, though he has joked about needing to be more choosy about where he does so.
The only quarterback behind Goff on Detroit’s depth chart now is undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer. Presumably, they will try to bring in a more accomplished backup before the season starts.
