Why is Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater retiring at 31 years old?

A veteran of the NFL and a solid quarterback, the journeyman has announced that the 2023-24 season will be his last playing in the league.

It’s a scenario that many athletes in many sports know all too well. Sometimes despite having clear talent and promise, injury can completely destroy hopes and dreams, leaving us all to wonder about what could have been.

Teddy Bridgewater will retire after this season

According to reports earlier this week, Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said that he plans to retire after the conclusion of the 2023-24 NFL season to coach high school football and focus on his two sons. Bridgewater is now in his 10th season in the NFL, however, is currently the Lions’ backup with Jared Goff the starter for the team. To that end, he has only featured in one game this season, when he knelt to conclude the Lions’ Week 5 win over the Carolina Panthers.

“Whatever was meant for me, it played out the exact way it was meant,” Bridgewater said. “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.”

What happened to Teddy Bridgewater?
When he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 NFL with the 32nd overall pick, Teddy Bridgewater’s quality was plain to say. Out of Louisville, the quarterback had entered the league was somewhat of a reputation. Indeed, he was regarded as a four-star recruit, and quite frankly was considered the sixth-best dual-threat quarterback at the time. While his first two seasons in the league didn’t set the world on fire, that is not to say that the signs of a future star weren’t there. Sadly, it was just not to be. In 2016, he suffered a horrific injury during training camp, tearing his left ACL and dislocating the knee itself. The result? Bridgewater would miss the entire season and would not return until November 2017, to serve as backup to Case Keenum. Sadly, he would make just one appearance that season when he replaced Keenum in Week 15.

From return to redemption and then goodbye
Though he had a brief pit stop with the New York Jets in 2018 – he signed a 1-year contract – it was his trade to the New Orleans Saints in 2019 that saw new life breathed into his career. After signing another one-year contract – this time fully guaranteed – he began to show his true colors as he replaced then-starter Drew Brees in Week 2 after the QB suffered a right thumb injury. Now given the starting spot for Week 3, Bridgewater dazzled as he went 19 of 27 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints defeated the Seattle Seahawks on the road by a score of 33–27. The remainder of his time in New Orleans impressive including a Week 7 win against the Bears in which he threw for 281 yards and two passing touchdowns. After the Saints chose not re-sign him, he would embark on a journey through the league that would see him play for the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and of course here and now, the Detroit Lions.

What has Teddy Bridgewater said about his decision?

As mentioned at the start of this, Bridgewater’s story can be considered a sad reminder of how fragile the career of a promising player can be when injury comes knocking. While it’s true that he continued to play and went on to spend a decade in the league, it could easily be argued that he didn’t fulfill his potential. Yet, what’s interesting to note is that he himself isn’t losing any sleep over the past, but rather is focused on what the future holds.