Free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is signing with the Detroit Lions, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday.
The signing will reunite Bridgewater with Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who was the Saints‘ assistant head coach/tight ends coach when Bridgewater was in New Orleans.
The deal is expected to be finalized this week, a source said.
Bridgewater adds reliable depth behind Jared Goff, who is Detroit’s clear-cut starter. The Lions were looking for the highest level of insurance in bringing in another backup.
Although Goff was healthy and played well this past season, Detroit’s depth at the position wasn’t strong, with punter Jack Fox the only other player on the roster to complete a pass. Backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld did appear in two games but didn’t register any stats.
Bridgewater visited the Lions in late July, and Campbell didn’t sugarcoat his interest in him.
“We’re Year 3 [in Campbell’s tenure as coach] and I think we’re in a much better position, and you want to know that you are in the best hands possible. I’ll leave it at that, but that’s also — it’s the competition,” Campbell told reporters during training camp on July 25. “It doesn’t mean that Nate’s out of anything if we go this route, if it works out. You’ll feel good about whoever comes out of the fire is going to be the right guy to help you along the way, but yeah, you don’t want the wheels to fall off.”
Bridgewater spent last season with the Miami Dolphins on a one-year, $6.5 million deal and was Tua Tagovailoa‘s primary backup. He ended up filling in for the injured Tagovailoa on multiple occasions, although he also was injured throughout the season.
He wound up starting two games, but both starts were cut short due to injury. Bridgewater was forced out of his first start against the New York Jets in Week 5, playing just one snap before being placed in the concussion protocol. He then was forced out of his Week 17 start after injuring the pinkie finger on his throwing hand, paving the way for rookie Skylar Thompson to start the regular-season finale as well as the AFC wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Overall, Bridgewater, 30, saw action in five games, completing 62% of his 79 passes for 683 yards and four touchdowns against four interceptions.
Prior to joining the Dolphins, Bridgewater started 29 games over two seasons for the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. The 2014 first-round pick also has played for the Saints and Minnesota Vikings over his eight NFL seasons, throwing for 15,120 yards and 75 touchdowns against 47 interceptions while completing 66.4% of his passes. He also has rushed for 84 yards and another 11 TDs.
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard and Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.
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