Teddy Bridgewater’s coaching career got off to a fantastic start. Between stints with the Detroit Lions in parts of the last two NFL seasons, the former Louisville star and first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, led Miami Northwestern High School to a 3A Florida State Championship.
However, he is suspended from coaching this season after publicly disclosing the impermissible benefits he provided to his players. That suspension has seemingly opened the door for an NFL return, as Bridgewater told the Palm Beach Post.
Quickly after announcing his intent to return to the league, Bridgewater earned an offer from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bridgewater is visiting Tampa today and is expected to sign a contract with the team.
Veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater is visiting Tampa today, and is expected to sign with the Buccaneers, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2025
The Buccaneers will be Bridgewater’s 8th NFL team, and his third NFC South team to go along with the Saints and Panthers. pic.twitter.com/nOEgJOx2xh
Teddy Bridgewater expected to sign with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bridgewater completed one pass for three yards in the Lions' 45-31 Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders in January. That pass was Bridgewater’s first NFL pass attempt since the 2022 season, when he started two games and appeared in five as a backup for the Miami Dolphins behind the oft-injured Tua Tagovailoa.
The season prior, in 2021, Bridgewater was nearly a full-time starter, playing 14 games for the Denver Broncos and leading the team to a 7-7 record in those starts. He threw for over 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, but has made only two starts since.
The Buccaneers will be Bridgewater’s eighth NFL franchise, and third stint in the NFC South. Despite his lack of playing time in recent seasons, the 32-year-old quarterback could have the inside track to QB2 on Tampa Bay’s depth chart behind the 30-year-old Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Unlike Bridgewater, whose upward trajectory was derailed by an early career injury, Mayfield has been able to resurrect his career after a failed stint in Cleveland. Like Bridgewater did after his devastating knee injury in Minnesota, Mayfield bounced around the league before settling in Tampa, and last season he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns while completing over 70 percent of his passes.
Bridgewater will compete with former second-round pick Kyle Trask, who has attempted 11 passes across his three-year NFL career, and completed just four of them. Trask was likely to be Mayfield's primary backup ahead of rookies Michael Pratt and Connor Bazelak. Pratt, a 2024 seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers, has spent most of training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.