Teddy Bridgewater

Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the 2013 Sugar Bowl, and was selected as the final first round pick of the 2014 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. During his second season, Bridgewater led the Vikings to a division title and earned Pro Bowl honors.

Upon suffering a severe leg injury the 2016 offseason, Bridgewater appeared in only one game over the next two years. He joined the New York Jets in 2018, but was traded to the New Orleans Saints shortly afterwards. Bridgewater served as the team's starter in relief of Drew Brees in 2019 for five games and helped contribute to them winning their division. Bridgewater later held starting roles with the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos for one season each and spent his last two seasons as a backup for the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. After initially retiring from the NFL in 2023, Bridgewater became the head football coach at Miami Northwestern, his former high school. Bridgewater returned to the Lions in 2024 after leading Miami Northwestern to a state championship and signed with the Buccaneers in 2025.

The son of Teddy Bridgewater Sr. and Rose Murphy, Bridgewater was born in Miami, Florida, on November 10, 1992. He attended Miami Northwestern Senior High School. The school's football field was later renamed in Bridgewater's honor. As a sophomore, he replaced Jacory Harris as starting quarterback and took over a team that had been named the 2007 national champions by USA Today the previous year. Bridgewater completed 97 of 160 attempts (60.6 percent) for 1,560 yards over the season, throwing 16 touchdowns with three interceptions. He also rushed 45 times for 211 yards (4.7 average) and two more scores. Northwestern finished the season 13–3, falling short to Seminole High School of Sanford 28–21 in the 6A state title game.

As a junior, Bridgewater passed for 2,546 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for 379 yards and five more scores. In a late-September game against Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School, he completed 19 of 24 passes for 327 yards and a Dade County record seven touchdowns. Bridgewater was named second-team All-State for 6A classification and first-team All-County by the Miami Herald. Northwestern finished the season 10–2, after a 29–16 loss to rival Miami Central High School.

As a senior, Bridgewater had 2,606 passing yards and 22 touchdowns despite missing parts of the season with a medial collateral ligament injury. He also rushed for 223 yards and eight more scores. Northwestern had a 9–3 record for the season, losing 42–27 to Miami Central in the 6-A semifinals, in which he threw for 436 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Regarded as a four-star recruit, Bridgewater was considered the sixth best dual-threat quarterback prospect in the nation by Rivals.com. He played in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Bridgewater originally committed to the University of Miami in June 2010. However, after the firing of Miami head coach Randy Shannon in November 2010, Bridgewater switched his commitment to the University of Louisville.

As a freshman at Louisville in 2011, Bridgewater entered the season as a backup to Will Stein. However, by the Cardinals' fourth game of the season against Marshall, Bridgewater was starting and remained the starter the rest of the year. He finished the season completing 191 of 296 passes for 2,129 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. For his play, Bridgewater was named the Big East Rookie of the Year and was named a freshman All-American by Rivals.com, Scout.com, CBS Sports, and Sporting News.