Teddy Bridgewater focused on "paying it forward" to next wave of players
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has seen just about everything during an NFL career that's touched a lot of bases.
Bridgewater entered the league as a first-round pick, but his run in Minnesota was interrupted by a serious leg injury that created questions about his ability to keep playing. Bridgewater recovered and moved on to other teams where he has been a starter and a backup with varying levels of success.
All of those experiences have left Bridgewater with a wide range of knowledge that he's brought with him to Detroit for the 2023 season. He said this week that he sees sharing those experiences as a big part of his role with the Lions.
"It's been my entire life, just been paying it forward because I know that I won't play this game forever," Bridgewater said. "There's certain things in life that I can't do forever, so it's like, how can I leave an everlasting impact? How can I prepare the next wave of talent, the next wave of athletes, for what's in store? It's kind of like my gift of life, just honestly pouring into the younger athletes, the younger players on the team. That's how I stay blessed. That's how I keep getting opportunities."
Bridgewater made sure to say that on-field accomplishments matter to him as well, but he said the "life trophies" that come with mentoring and guiding others are the thing he most prizes as he heads into his latest NFL adventure.
