The Buccaneers of Tampa Bay signed the Teddy Bridgewater veteran quarterrier on Tuesday to add experience behind the starter Baker Mayfield.
Bridgewater, 32, recently canceled his job as a football coach at Northwestern high school in Miami after being suspended for having pretended to be unacceptable to his players.
Bridgewater was on the list of Detroit Lions last December last December as Jared Goff backup, but has not launched a regular season pass since the 2022 season with the Miami dolphins.
He adds depth behind Mayfield, who missed several days last week with a bruised right hand. Michael Pratt backup was out with a back injury. Kyle Trask and the Recruit not drafted Connor Bazelak are also on the list of training camps.
“It brings us a rich experience in this place. Obviously, we do not have it,” said head coach Todd Bowles about Bridgewater. “Kyle has been here for a few years, but he hasn’t really played and we obviously have a new guy arriving, so we need the additional arm. We need some experience in this room, and the more experience, the better.”
Last season with Detroit, Bridgewater ended his only pass for 3 yards in the lions’ divisional round defeat against Washington Commanders.
In 10 seasons of the NFL with the Vikings of Minnesota (2014-15, 2017), New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Carolina Panthers (2020), Denver Broncos (2021), Miami Dolphins and 2022) and Detroit (2023-24), Bridgewater finished 1,372 of 2,067 passes (66.4 yards with 75 affected and 47 interceptions.
Bridgewater was appointed to Pro Bowl in his second season after starting the 16 games for the Vikings and led them to a file of 11-5.
In Tampa, he will be found with his former head coach of Louisville, Charlie Strong, now coach of the Bucs defensive line. Bridgewater was also a secondary teammate of the secondary lavonte David in Miami Northwestern.
Bridgewater retired after a decade in the NFL and took over as a chief coach of his Alma Mater in 2024, leading the program to a state championship in his first season. After his suspension last month, he posted on social networks that he had been self -depressed by paying for Uber rides, meals and recovery services for players.
– field level media
