Teddy Bridgewater teases a possible NFL return after winning a state title with Miami Northwestern High. Following a decade-long career in the NFL, he retired last offseason and took on the role of football coach at his high school alma mater. This past weekend, Bridgewater celebrated a significant achievement as his team secured the Florida Class 3A state championship.
With his inaugural season as a high school coach now concluded, the 32-year-old Bridgewater is eyeing a return to the professional league. He expressed optimism about the future during an interview with NFL Network, stating, “Coach Teddy, hopefully, we’ll see how these next week and a half, two weeks play out, might be signing with a team or something. And then returning back to coach high school football in February. So, we’ll see.”
When asked about his intentions regarding a comeback, Bridgewater confirmed, “That’s the plan. My team knows that’s the plan. We wanted to win a state championship and then Coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back in February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football. So we’ll see how it plays out.”
Should Bridgewater make a return to the NFL, aligning himself with a playoff team would be a strategic move, particularly with the goal of capturing a Super Bowl title. Notably, two of his former teams, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, have already clinched spots in the postseason.
In the 2023 season, Bridgewater served as a backup to Jared Goff in Detroit, making a brief appearance in one game. He ultimately retired after the Lions were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game.
Bridgewater’s journey began in 2014 when the Minnesota Vikings selected him with the last pick of the first round. He quickly became the starter four weeks into his rookie season, guiding the Vikings to an NFC North title in his second year. After a Pro Bowl season in 2015, he faced a career-threatening knee injury in August 2016.
He made a comeback in 2017, serving as a backup in Minnesota, before joining the New Orleans Saints for two seasons. During his time with the Saints, he started six games in relief of Drew Brees. His career then took him through one-year contracts with the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and Lions, where he started 31 games.
Bridgewater has only played in one postseason game, which occurred during the 2015 season when he led the Vikings in the wild-card round against the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, Minnesota lost in a heartbreaking fashion when kicker Blair Walsh missed a potential game-winning 27-yard field goal.
Throughout his NFL career, Bridgewater participated in 79 games, amassing 15,120 passing yards, 75 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions. His journey, marked by resilience and determination, continues to captivate fans and football enthusiasts alike.
