The Detroit Lions placed veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on the reserved-retired list on Sunday. The team made the official roster announcement as part of several moves.
Bridgewater informed the Lions that he is stepping away from football. Head coach Dan Campbell addressed the situation during his Sunday press conference. Campbell said Bridgewater had not attended the previous two practices.
Campbell noted that Bridgewater’s biggest concern was the possibility of letting the team down. The coach added that he expects this retirement to be permanent. Bridgewater had briefly retired after the 2023 season before returning to the NFL.
The 33 year old signed a one year contract with Detroit in March. He was set to serve as the primary backup to starting quarterback Jared Goff. Bridgewater previously played for the Lions in 2023 and 2024. He spent the 2025 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before rejoining Detroit this offseason.
Bridgewater entered the league as the 32nd overall selection by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 NFL Draft. He appeared in 83 career games and made 65 starts across multiple teams. His record as a starter stands at 33 wins and 32 losses.
With Bridgewater no longer on the active roster, the Lions currently list undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer as the only other quarterback behind Goff. Campbell said the team intends to add a veteran quarterback for depth and hopes to complete a signing soon.
In the same announcement, the Lions signed cornerback Ryan Cooper and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. The team also waived tight end Nick Muse.
The move comes during training camp as Detroit prepares for the upcoming regular season.
