On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that they have signed veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year contract. A former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater was most recently on the Detroit Lions' roster for the last few weeks of the 2024 campaign. To make room for the addition on the team's 91-man camp roster, the Buccaneers released second-string punter Jake Julien.
Bridgewater has played for the Vikings, Lions, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins, appearing in 79 games with 65 starts, with a 33-32 career record as a starter. He played in one postseason game with the Vikings in 2015. His most recent action as a full-time starter came in 2021, when he opened 14 games for the Denver Broncos and threw for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 94.9 passer rating. Bridgewater also started 15 games for Carolina in 2020, amassing 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Buccaneers originally intended to have four quarterbacks throwing in camp but first-year passer Michael Pratt is on the active/PUP list and has not yet taken part in a practice. The reps have been split between starter Baker Mayfield, his primary backup Kyle Trask and undrafted rookie Connor Bazelak.
Bridgewater obviously brings a lot of experience to the Bucs' quarterback room. After being selected 32nd overall in 2014 out of Louisville, he started 13 games as a rookie and then all 16 in 2015, earning an invitation to the Pro Bowl after leading the Vikings to an 11-5 record. Unfortunately, he suffered a devastating injury in practice just before the start of the 2016 campaign, including a torn ACL and dislocated knee joint, and spent that season on injured reserve. He would play in just one more game for the Vikings, as his recovery stretched well into the 2017 season, as well. He became a free agent in 2018 and signed with the New York Jets, but was then traded to the Saints in August.
Bridgewater only threw 23 passes for New Orleans in 2018, but he took over early in the 2019 season after Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury and led the Saints to five straight victories before Brees returned. That was instrumental in helping New Orleans win the third of four straight NFC South titles. Bridgewater's resurgence with the Saints led to the starting opportunities in Carolina and Denver. More recently, he played for Miami in 2022 and made two starts, then was a backup to Jared Goff in Detroit in 2023, though he didn't throw a pass that season.
