Deadspin | Buccaneers sign veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater

[ad_1] Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater waves to followers throughout warmups earlier than the Denver Broncos recreation at Ford Area in Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on Tuesday so as to add expertise behind starter Baker Mayfield.

Bridgewater, 32, not too long ago vacated his place as head soccer coach at Miami's Northwestern Excessive College after being suspended for allegedly offering impermissible advantages to his gamers.

Bridgewater was on the Detroit Lions' roster final December as a backup to Jared Goff however has not thrown a move within the common season for the reason that 2022 season with the Miami Dolphins.

He provides depth behind Mayfield, who missed a number of days final week with a bruised proper hand. Backup Michael Pratt has been out with a again damage. Kyle Trask and undrafted rookie Connor Bazelak are also on the coaching camp roster.

"He brings us a wealth of expertise at that spot. Clearly we do not have it," head coach Todd Bowles stated of Bridgewater. "Kyle's been right here a number of years however he hasn't actually performed and clearly we've got a brand new man that is coming in, so we'd like the additional arm. We'd like some expertise in that room, and the extra expertise the higher."

Final season with Detroit, Bridgewater accomplished his solely move for 3 yards within the Lions' divisional spherical loss to the Washington Commanders.

In 10 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2014-15, 2017), New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Carolina Panthers (2020), Denver Broncos (2021), Miami Dolphins (2022) and Detroit (2023-24), Bridgewater accomplished 1,372 of two,067 passes (66.4 %) for 15,120 yards with 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He added 844 dashing yards and 11 scores on the bottom.

Bridgewater was named to the Professional Bowl in his second season after beginning all 16 video games for the Vikings and main them to an 11-5 report.

In Tampa, he shall be reunited along with his former Louisville head coach Charlie Robust, now the line of defense coach for the Bucs. Bridgewater additionally was a highschool teammate of linebacker Lavonte David at Miami Northwestern.

Bridgewater retired after a decade within the NFL and took over as the top coach at his alma mater in 2024, main this system to a state championship in his first season. After his suspension final month, he posted on social media that he had self-reported paying for gamers' Uber rides, meals and restoration providers.