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The Detroit Lions have made a strong contract offer to former Miami Dolphins free-agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The 30-year-old Bridgewater is one of the most coveted quarterbacks on the market due to his extensive starting experience and impressive track record.
Fowler reports that Bridgewater hasn’t yet decided where he’ll be playing next season as he takes his time evaluating his options. Several other teams have also shown interest in the quarterback.
Bridgewater has a particularly strong connection to the Saints, as he played under their current head coach, Dan Campbell, during his time with the team.
While Bridgewater has garnered interest from multiple teams, the interest seem restricted to a backup role. It’s possible that he may wait until after the draft to make a final decision on his future.
Bridgewater originally entered the league as a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014. He quickly established himself as one of the league’s more promising young quarterbacks, passing for 3,231 yards and 14 touchdowns in his rookie season. He continued to develop over the next year, setting a career high with 3,231 passing yards in 2015 and earning a Pro Bowl nod in the 2015 season.
However, Bridgewater’s career took a major setback in 2016 when he suffered a devastating knee injury that forced him to miss the entire 2016 season and most of the 2017 campaign.
Bridgewater bounced back in a big way during the 2019 season, when he took over as the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in the absence of Drew Brees. He led the team to a 5-0 record in Brees’ absence, passing for 1,384 yards and nine touchdowns in those five games.
Bridgewater signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Carolina Panthers in March of 2020, but was traded to the Denver Broncos this offseason in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He later signed a free-agent contract with the Miami Dolphins last offseason.
Despite the ups and downs of his career, Bridgewater remains a highly sought-after quarterback in today’s NFL. The Lions’ reported offer is a testament to his enduring talent and potential as a starter, even as other teams consider him for a backup role.
With the draft fast approaching, it remains to be seen where Bridgewater will ultimately end up, but one thing is certain, he’ll have plenty of suitors vying for his services.