What if Teddy Bridgewater doesn't return to Miami Northwestern?

Miami Northwestern coach Teddy Bridgewater remains suspended but it’s not clear at this point if that punishment will be lifted before the season starts or if more severe sanctions will be levied. If you’re a player on the Bulls’ roster, you have to be thinking out your options. The official clock on the 2025-26 Florida high school sports calendar started at Midnight on July 28 and we’re no closer to finding out from the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) what they exactly plan to do with Bridgewater and his coaching duties for this fall.

A recent interview between Miami Northwestern alumni booster chair president Larry Williams and Football Hotbed’s Brandon Odoi, the former acknowledged that some kind of sanctions are expected to be laid down to the Bulls from the FHSAA, but what exactly? A year-long suspension and fine? A slap on the wrist? Something in-between?

FHSAA’s administrator of public relations Kelvin Richardson told Rivals on Tuesday that the Gainesville-based association was still gathering information from Miami Northwestern and that they do not have any definitive answers at this time.

Expect The First Academy (Fla.) to continue monitoring this fluid situation because if the punishment is anything less than a year-long suspension for Bridgewater and a substantial fine for Northwestern, the Royals might be looking to take the FHSAA to court.

The Royals were fined $36,000 and forced to forfeit all of their 2024 victories, along with the suspension of head coach Jeff Conaway for the entire 2025 campaign, for what the FHSAA had uncovered was violated rules that included: reaching out to players unenrolled in their school; allowing unenrolled players to compete for them during summer tournaments; and offering ride-hailing services to players not yet enrolled.

With Bridgewater stating that he had spent thousands upon thousands of his own money to pay for what would be deemed impermissible benefits, which included Uber rides and recovery services, the Bulls seem to be now facing a season without their lead man. What would exactly happen if that happened?

A season without Bridgewater, whether he’s forced to sit several games or the entirety of the fall campaign, will obviously have a detrimental impact to Miami Northwestern’s quest to repeating as state champions in Class 3A. Who would exactly lead the team?

No name quickly jumps to mind, though Bridgewater did have one of the top coaching staffs in all of South Florida last season.

Whatever decision the FHSAA comes to, the association knows the clock is ticking.

Here are a few different scenarios of how this could all play out between the FHSAA, Bridgewater and Miami Northwestern.

Florida Department of Education, state step in

The Florida legislature passed a bill in 2023 giving the Florida governor control of the FHSAA board of directors. What was also notable about that bill was that it also gave substantial power to the Florida Commissioner of Education, which is currently Anastasios Kamoutsas.

Kamoutsas sent a public letter to the FHSAA last week asking the association to review all of its policies and to ensure that they are allowing every possible opportunity to the state’s student athletes.

The letter by Kamoutsas sent last week said the following:

It has been brought to my attention that a volunteer coach was recently suspended for providing impermissible benefits to students in violation of Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)
Administrative Policy. Let us use this instance to reflect on FHSAA policies on the whole and whether they are serving the needs of student athletes. I believe many of the FHSAA’s policies may be antiquated and out of step with the current landscape of school choice in Florida. Pursuant to my authority in section 1006.20(2), Florida Statutes, I direct the FHSAA to review its policies and ensure a common sense approach to support student athletes and families, while ensuring safeguards remain to prohibit illegal recruiting. We must allow flexibility to maximize fairness, competition and opportunity for our student athletes. Your immediate attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Florida’s Commissioner of Education has the power to direct the FHSAA to revise its bylaws at any time. What bylaw might get revised if the state decides to make a decision themselves?

We visit FHSAA policy 37.2.1 General Regulation: 37.2.1: No school employee, athletic department staff member, representative of the school’s athletic interests or third parties, such as an independent person, business, or organization, may be involved, directly or indirectly, in giving an impermissible benefit to any student or any member of his/her family for the purpose of participating in interscholastic athletics, or to any student-athlete who already attends a school.

Kamoutsas would have the right, by law, to force the FHSAA to revise it’s bylaws at any given time, thus exonerating Bridgewater from any fault of his personal contributions to the Miami Northwestern football program.

This is something that could happen. Will it happen? We’ll see.

Bridgewater suspended for multiple games, fined

This might be a path we could see the FHSAA take to punish Miami Northwestern but give Bridgewater the opportunity to return at some point during the season.

How many games, though? Well, it all depends, but on how the association has been suspending head coaches as of late not last named Conaway, around six games has seemed like the ceiling for an in-season suspension.

Look no further than former Sarasota Booker head coach Scottie Littles, who was reprimanded by the FHSAA for alleged recruiting violations and initially handed a six-game suspension and $5,000 fine before it was lifted before Week 2 of the 2024 season.

Coaches and players on the team could hold the fort down until then, if it was in fact a six-game suspension, and and Bridgewater would return just in time for the Bulls’ Oct. 4th’s meeting with rival Miami Central. The team would still have everything in front of them at that point: GMAC championship, district title and another push towards winning a state title.

Bridgewater misses the 2025 season

Northwestern was looking to get ahead of the situation when it suspended Bridgewater. If he decides it would be best to sit out the season, the FHSAA may view that as time-served, so to speak, and allow him to return for the 2026 season.

But in a state like Florida that is well known for players being allowed to transfer at almost any given time, this could trigger an exodus of Northwestern players looking into leaving the program if Bridgewater doesn’t return to the sidelines this fall. With well over a dozen players dotted along the roster with Power Four offers, this would have state championship implications.

Class 3A programs like rival Miami Central, Jacksonville Raines, Sarasota Booker and even a much-improved Naples Lely might see this as the window coming wide open for them.

This scenario, whether decided by Bridgewater himself or the FHSAA handing down a year-long suspension, might be the worst case scenario.

Bridgewater returns to the NFL full-time

Never say never they say for Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr.

This has to be considered a realistic option by anyone paying attention to this situation. Last year, Bridgewater returned to the Detroit Lions just days after leading Miami Northwestern to a state title.

Maybe coaching high school football seems like too much of a hassle for Bridgewater because of the restraints on what he is or is not allowed to do. For someone who has earned well north of $60 million throughout the course of his NFL career and still can play the position at 32-years-old, why wouldn’t Bridgewater test the waters and see who would all be interested in a experienced backup option?

We don’t know what NFL team needs in the opening stages of training camp, but a veteran arm with the knowledge, experience at the game’s most important position like quarterback is absolutely invaluable.

Bridgewater would be a great fit for a number of teams throughout the NFL as a veteran backup and last year’s late in-season signing by the Lions spoke to that.