Baker Mayfield is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ guy at quarterback, but general manager Jason Licht may not be satisfied with the backup situation, considering the team is reportedly bringing in veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater for an official “visit.”
Tampa Bay Times insider Rick Stroud was the first to report the news on the morning of August 5, relaying: “Bucs are visiting with QB Teddy Bridgewater today, who is taking a physical.”
Within minutes, a flurry of posts followed on X, providing more information on a potential agreement working out between the former Pro Bowl quarterback with 15,000 career passing yards and the Bucs.
“Teddy Bridgewater worked with Bucs OC Josh Grizzard in Miami,” FOX Sports Bucs insider Greg Auman noted shortly after the news. Adding: “They’ve been without backup Michael Pratt all of camp and down to two QBs with Baker Mayfield sidelined the last two practices. [Bridgewater] reportedly told his [high school] players in Miami he was returning to the NFL.”
Moments later, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter also reported that Bridgewater “is expected to sign with the Buccaneers, per sources.”
Potential New Buccaneers QB Teddy Bridgewater Has Become Known as 1 of NFL’s Best Backup Quarterbacks
GettyThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing in veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for an official team visit and physical.
By most assessments, 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask is having one of the best training camps of his career, but Bridgewater’s arrival would mean that his QB2 job could be in jeopardy. Pratt would also be in serious danger of losing his roster spot, given that he has barely played this spring and summer due to a back injury.
Bridgewater, who turns 33 years old in November, has transitioned into becoming one of the NFL’s best and most well-respected backup quarterbacks over the latter half of his career.
Beginning as a former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, the 11-year veteran (counting one injury-lost season) has started 65 regular season games and 1 playoff outing, appearing in 81 total games.
After briefly leaving the NFL to coach high school football, Bridgewater most recently suited up for the Detroit Lions in each of the past two seasons as a late-season backup option, appearing in 1 regular season outing in 2023 (no statistics) and the Lions’ playoff loss last year.
Bridgewater completed 1-of-1 attempts for 3 yards in Detroit’s postseason defeat.
The last time Bridgewater started a game was in 2022, with the Miami Dolphins. He went 0-2 in those two starts, with 683 passing yards, a 62.0% completion rate, 4 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions on the year (5 total appearances).
2021 was the last season in which Bridgewater was given a long run as a starting quarterback. He led the Denver Broncos to a 7-7 record over a 14-game stretch as QB1, and was a bit better statistically speaking (66.9% completions, 3,052 passing yards, 18 TDs, 7 interceptions).
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