What Teddy Bridgewater brings to Lions as backup QB

Bridgewater's veteran leadership provides an instant upgrade and credibility to the quarterback room. Bridgewater — who will join his fifth team in five seasons — is a good insurance policy if Goff suffers an injury that prevents him from playing. 

In the NFL, the 30-year-old QB has 65 starts, 15,120 passing yards, 75 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions. He is the first Lions backup quarterback with substantial NFL playing time since Daunte Culpepper in 2008-09.  

A backup in Miami last season, Bridgewater twice started games in place of injured starter Tua Tagovailoa. However, he suffered injuries that forced him to leave those games. In a 40-17 loss to the Jets in Week 5, he played one snap before leaving with a concussion after a hit on a blitz by Defensive Rookie of the Year Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner. 

Bridgewater, however, is far more capable than Nate Sudfeld, who served as backup last season and is still on the roster. The fifth-year veteran has appeared in just six games in the league, completing 25 of 37 passes with one touchdown and one interception. He hasn't thrown a pass for Detroit.

During Tuesday's media availability before joint practices with the New York Giants, head coach Dan Campbell raved about Bridgewater. Campbell was a position coach in New Orleans, where Bridgewater played two seasons for the Saints (2018-2019).

"I've seen him develop young talent, young receivers," he said.

The only other quarterbacks on the roster are rookies: 2023 third-round draft pick Hendon Hooker, who still is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in college, and undrafted free agent Adrian Martinez.

Before the Bridgewater announcement, Yardbarker gave Detroit's backup QB situation a "1" rating, for the highest degree of panic. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson praised the backups before the addition of Bridgewater, noting they can win games and support Goff "if all things go right." 

Clearly, though, management wanted a Plan B, and Detroit got one with plenty of experience.