Teddy Bridgewater, a Miami native, will be retiring from the NFL after this season and transitioning to a role as a high school football coach.
Last season, while playing for his hometown Dolphins, Teddy Bridgewater expressed to local reporters his desire to eventually coach at Miami Northwestern Senior High, his alma mater, once he concludes his NFL career.
The realization of those plans is now approaching, as the 10-year veteran and Detroit Lions quarterback, who hails from Liberty City, revealed to the Detroit Free Press that the 2023 season will mark his final year in the NFL, with intentions to transition into coaching high school football next year. At 31, Bridgewater has served as the backup to Jared Goff for the 9-4 Lions this season, likely headed for the playoffs.
Drafted as the No. 32 overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater has a 33-32 record as a starting quarterback, accumulating 15,120 passing yards, 75 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions. Additionally, he has rushed for 844 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
Although he led the Vikings to the playoffs in the 2015 season and earned a Pro Bowl nod, a serious knee injury during the 2016 training camp sidelined him for the entire 2016 season and a significant portion of the 2017 season.
After stints with the Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Denver Broncos, Bridgewater returned home to play for the Dolphins in the 2022 season under a one-year deal. During that season, he participated in five games, making two starts and completing 62 percent of his passes for 683 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Reflecting on his experience last season, Bridgewater expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to play in his hometown, emphasizing the genuine love he received from the community. A standout at Northwestern during his college football days at Louisville, Bridgewater has maintained a close relationship with the local community, engaging in philanthropy, hosting events like the annual “Christmas in July” toy drive, purchasing new uniforms for his alma mater, and dedicating a football field to him at Bunche Park in Miami Gardens.
Following the firing of Michaekee Harris in November, who coached for only one season and led the team to a 4-6 record, Northwestern has had a head-coaching vacancy. Harris, a former wide receiver at Northwestern, played during Bridgewater’s tenure as the starting quarterback.
