Teddy Bridgewater shares measured reasoning for retirement after season

Bridgewater, who was drafted out of Louisville with the last pick of the first round at the 2014 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, could easily look back on his career as one of disappointment -- thanks in large part to injuries.

Instead, he told Birkett they made him more comfortable with his decision. 

"When I got hurt, I realized that I'm only a football player for three hours on a Sunday afternoon," he said. 

"Outside of that, I'm Theodore Bridgewater, so it just put everything into perspective, and it really helped me not even have to think about not being a starter [anymore]. It's like, 'Man, I still got purpose.' And my purpose is bigger than the game of football. Football is just a platform that I have."

"Teddy Two Gloves" seemed destined for success at the professional level after making the Pro Bowl in 2015, his first season as the Vikings full-time starter.

But Bridgewater suffered a season-ending torn ACL in training camp the next year, and he'd make just one more appearance in purple and gold before signing on to backup Jamies Winston in Tampa Bay. 

There he showed enough in a 5-0 stint as a starter for the injured Winston in 2019 to earn a chance to start again for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and for the Denver Broncos in 2021 and compiled an 11-18 record.

Now, he's backing up Jared Goff for a Lions team with the chance to do something it hasn't in 30 years: win the NFC North. 

He told the "Free Press," that he's appreciating everything on the ride for as long as it lasts.

"Everyone sees the wins and losses, and it's the small victories, the daily victories that take place in this locker room," he said.

"You talk about a team that is young, quick to run to their phones after practice, after games, and you see guys like mingling and just having conversations. Pingpong, card table, cornhole. Guys sitting on the couch. Like, that's what it's about. That's the league that I came into, and I'm happy that I get to just see and be a part of this great locker room."