Teddy Bridgewater expected to sign with Buccaneers after announcing plans for NFL comeback

Teddy Bridgewater, who stepped down as head football coach at Miami Northwestern to pursue a return to the NFL, is visiting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday. He is expected to sign with the team, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

This will be Bridgewater’s eighth stop in the NFL, and third time playing for an NFC South team after previous stints with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. The 32-year-old will join a quarterback room which consists of Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask, Michael Pratt and Connor Bazelak. Mayfield missed a pair of practices last week with a hand contusion, while Pratt is currently sidelined with a lower back injury.

Head coach Todd Bowles said last Friday of the possibility of bringing in another quarterback to training camp: “Yeah, we’re looking at that.”

We’ll see if Bridgewater ultimately provides competition to Trask for the backup job. Bridgewater does have a wealth of experience, appearing in 79 games (65 starts) over the course of his career. Trask, meanwhile, has thrown just 11 passes in the regular season since entering the league in 2021.

Bridgewater has several connections to Tampa Bay. He worked with offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard with the Miami Dolphins in 2022. Bridgewater played under Charlie Strong at Louisville. Strong is now the Buccaneers’ defensive line coach. Bridgewater also attended the same high school (Miami Northwestern) as linebacker Lavonte David.

Teddy Bridgewater returning to NFL after high school suspension

Bridgewater’s Miami Northwestern departure comes three weeks after he was suspended by Northwestern due to allegations of providing impermissible benefits to his players. Bridgewater acknowledged the suspension on Facebook:

“The suspension came from MNW and it’s impossible to suspend someone who doesn’t work for you,” Bridgewater wrote. “So, if I’m suspended from MNW I’m free to go to another school of my choice but IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

“And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem.”

For his career, Bridgewater has thrown for 15,120 yards, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions on 66.4% passing. Bridgewater made his first and only Pro Bowl with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015. He signed with the Detroit Lions late last season less than a week and a half after Northwestern’s state title win, serving as Jared Goff‘s backup in the postseason.