Miami native Teddy Bridgewater to retire from NFL after season, coach HS football
As a member of his hometown Dolphins last season, Teddy Bridgewater told local reporters he wants to coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern Senior High, once his NFL career is over.
Those days are slowly approaching.
The 10-year veteran, Detroit Lions quarterback and Liberty City native told the Detroit Free Press that the 2023 season will be his last and he plans to coach high school football next year.
Bridgewater, 31, has been backing up Jared Goff this season for the Lions, who are 9-4 and likely playoff-bound.
The No. 32 overall pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater is 33-32 as a starter, throwing for 15,120 yards, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He has also run for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In Minnesota, he led the Vikings to the playoffs in the 2015 season and was named to the Pro Bowl. However, he sustained a serious knee injury during the 2016 training camp that sidelined him for the entirety of the season and much of the 2017 season.
After time with the Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, Bridgewater signed a one-year deal to return home and play for the Dolphins in the 2022 season. He appeared in five games and made two starts, completing 62 percent of his passes for 683 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.
“It’s a huge blessing to be able to just suit up in my hometown,” Bridgewater said last season ahead of his first start as a Dolphin. “I played little league football five minutes down the road at Bunche Park. So if I leave work tomorrow and go to the park, all of the little kids will come running up to me excited. If I go to the Northwestern game on Friday night, everybody will be excited. It’s such a relief, honestly, knowing that the love is genuine no matter where I go. I really appreciate that from my community and my people. I know they’re excited that I get this opportunity. I’m looking forward to it.”
Bridgewater, who played college football at Louisville, was a standout at Northwestern and has maintained a strong relationship with the local community. He hosts an annual “Christmas in July” toy drive, along with other philanthropic events. He has also bought new uniforms for his alma mater and has often been seen at games and practices. In the summer, Bridgewater had a football field dedicated to him at Bunche Park in Miami Gardens.
Northwestern has had a head-coaching vacancy since firing Michaekee Harris in November after one season. The football team went 4-6 and missed the playoffs. Harris played wide receiver at Northwestern when Bridgewater was the starting quarterback.
This story may be updated.
This story was originally published December 16, 2023 at 11:28 AM.
