Teddy Bridgewater may be stepping into an incredibly important role for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the immediate future, but it will be nothing new for the 12th-year quarterback. In fact, his current situation could end up being eerily familiar to one he experienced six years ago.
In 2019, Bridgewater was a backup for the New Orleans Saints, a team with an accomplished veteran quarterback in Drew Brees that was working on defending multiple NFC South championships. In a Week Three game against the Los Angeles Rams, Brees suffered a thumb injury that would lead to an extended absence from the Saints' lineup. Bridgewater stepped in for the next five games and helped the Saints go 5-0, which ultimately kept the team on track to win its third straight division crown.
On Sunday night at SoFi Stadium, against those same Rams, Buccaneers starter Baker Mayfield sustained a left shoulder injury that he initially played through for about a quarter before aggravating it on the last play of the first half. He spent the second half on the sideline with his left arm in a sling while Bridgewater finished the contest. It was 31-7 at halftime and the Rams eventually won, 34-7.
In the immediate aftermath of the game, it wasn't yet certain if Mayfield's injury would keep him out for next Sunday's home game against the Arizona Cardinals, or for an extended period after that. What is known is that if Mayfield misses any time, Bridgewater will be back in the saddle, trying to help an NFC South team that has won four straight division titles stay on track for a fifth.
Originally a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater has banked a lot of NFL experience in the years since while playing for seven different teams. A strong start to his career in Minnesota, which included an 11-5 record in his second season, was derailed by a devastating practice field injury in 2016, but he has since carved out a good career as a reliable backup and occasional long-term starter. Bridgewater's career record in 65 games as a starter is 33-32. If those numbers go up in the coming weeks, he's certain he's ready.
"I'm very confident," said Bridgewater. "If it's my number, I've just got to answer the bell.
"I'm going to take this one day at a time. I've just got to continue to prepare the way I've been preparing all year and if my number gets called I've just got to go play."
Bridgewater faced the same relentless pressure that had limited Mayfield in the first half on Sunday night, and he finished with nine completions in 15 attempts for 62 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. With a week to prepare and take first-team snaps in the potential absence of Mayfield, Bridgewater should be in a better position to succeed next weekend against the Arizona Cardinals. If his number is called, he plans to enjoy the experience.
"When I'm out there, it's fun," said Bridgewater. "I always tell myself, I'm not even supposed to be here right now. So when I get the opportunity to go out there and play, I want to make sure I make some kind of lasting impact, whether it's on the field or off.
"It's unfortunate that it came by way of an injury. You never want to see guys get injured, especially your leader, but Bake's a tough guy, man. He tried to come back out there today and tough it out for the guys. That says a lot about him, says a lot about this team."
Bridgewater knows the Bucs are at a crossroads after losing their third straight on Sunday night and dropping four of their last five. That streak has dropped the Bucs' record to 6-5, which is tied with the Carolina Panthers for the top spot in the NFC South, though the Panthers will go on way or another in the standings after their game in San Francisco on Monday night. Though Bridgewater wasn't around for it, he knows that the Todd Bowles-led Bucs have managed to pull out of midseason stumbles in the past two seasons to stack wins down the stretch and defend their division titles.
"For us, we've got to get back to the drawing board, try to turn some things around," said Bridgewater. "Coach Bowles talked about it – in the past this team has taken some losses early in the year but found a way to win. Right now we've hit a little wall the last three games in a row. We've just got to try to figure things out. We're back home next week and we're just looking forward to getting back in front of our fans and fix some things.
"You'll see it this week in practice. I'm pretty sure guys' level of play will be raised and the standard will be raised by the players and coaches."
