Teddy Bridgewater is stepping away from the Detroit Lions
The veteran NFL quarterback is choosing to step away from the Lions – and professional football in general – on Sunday, his team announced. Lions head coach Dan Campbell shared the big news on Sunday afternoon
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“Teddy Bridgewater will be stepping away from the team,” Campbell announced to reporters on Sunday
“His biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guy he is.”
Bridgewater, who has had a 10-plus year career in the National Football League, was not viewed as as top-tier backup quarterback entering the 2026 season
“Bridgewater’s days of being viewed as a high-end No. 2 quarterback are gone, but he still has the trust of coaches, he’s beloved in the locker room and his high football IQ makes him an asset during film sessions,” Sports Illustrated wrote
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SI added: “It seems like it was ages ago that Bridgewater was viewed as the franchise quarterback in Minnesota. His career trajectory drastically changed after suffering a career-threatening leg injury before the 2016 season. Bridgewater revived his career as a quality backup in New Orleans, gaining the trust of coach Sean Payton while making spot starts in ’18 and ’19.”
The Lions, meanwhile, will have to look elsewhere for backup quarterback help heading into the 2026 college football regular season. The Lions could look to get more from undrafted free agent Luke Altmyer, who has reportedly been playing well in training camp so far this month. But it’s still very early
Detroit, which failed to make a deep run in the playoffs last year, will open the 2026 NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13 against the New Orleans Saints. Kickoff between the Lions and the Saints is scheduled for 1 p.m E.T
The game will air on FOX
This story was originally published byThe Spunon Aug 9, 2026, where it first appeared in theNFLsection. Add The Spun as aPreferred
