Teddy Bridgewater, Ex-Dolphins QB and Miami native, to retire; coach local high school team
Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, a hometown hero and a pillar in Miami’s inner city, is set to retire after this season.
The 10-year veteran, who signed a one-year contract with the Lions this past offseason to be Jared Goff’s backup, told the Detroit Free Press that this will be his final season.
“Whatever was meant for me, it played out the exact way it was meant,” Bridgewater told the Free Press. “And I’m still with that mindset every day, and I’m just really appreciative that I’m in Year 10. I tell everyone this is my last year, so I’m in my final year and I’m just enjoying it all, man.”
The 31-year-old Bridgewater is 33-32 in 65 career starts in the NFL, completing 66 percent of his passes for 15,120 yards and 75 touchdowns with 47 interceptions. He has also rushed for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Bridgewater, who starred at Miami Northwestern High, plans to coach high school football after his retirement and has long been expected to coach at his alma mater, which has a head-coaching vacancy.
Former Northwestern coach Max Edwards told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he expects Bridgewater to take over at Northwestern after his NFL season is completed and his retirement is official. Edwards, who was let go at Northwestern following the 2022 season, coached at Northwestern for eight seasons and won three state championships.
Edwards has previously called Bridgewater the head coach in waiting for the Bulls once he retires. Bridgewater has made numerous appearances at Northwestern practices and games over the years. A video of him on his high school alma mater’s sideline in September of 2022 went viral as Bridgewater drew up a play on a whiteboard for his Bulls to run in a game.
Bridgewater is a success story from Liberty City and Opa-Locka in Miami-Dade County. He has been giving back to the community since he was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014.
Bridgewater has seen ups and downs in his professional career. He made a Pro Bowl and playoff appearance in 2015. Then, a torn ACL in his left knee cost him the 2016 season and most of 2017. He reemerged as a backup for the New Orleans Saints. When he replaced an injured Drew Brees in 2019, he went 5-0. The past three years, Bridgewater was the full-time starter for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and Denver Broncos in 2021 before joining the Lions.
Bridgewater joined his hometown Miami Dolphins in 2022 as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup.
A class of 2011 recruit, Bridgewater had the idea of staying home, when he was committed to the University of Miami. That 2010 fall, Randy Shannon was fired as coach of the Hurricanes, and in the transition from Shannon to Al Golden, Bridgewater flipped to Louisville and coach Charlie Strong.
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