NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first. Bridgewater, who is fresh off coaching Miami Northwestern High School to a Class 3A state championship in his first season with the team, is now back to help the Lions with a postseason run that they hope ends with an NFL championship. The former first-rounder spent last season with the Lions after stints with the Panthers, Broncos, and Dolphins in previous seasons but did not attempt a pass in his lone year with the team. He will presumably join the Lions’ practice squad but could eventually be promoted to the QB2 over Hendon Hooker after a few weeks.

Bridgewater last played in the NFL for the Lions last season, playing just three snaps in a reserve role. The 32-year-old was last a full-time starter for the Broncos in 2021, battling injuries since being drafted by the Vikings in 2014. He retired to coach his high school alma mater and came away with a state championship. Now, he tells Pelissero and Rapoport “we’ll see how [the] next week and a half, two weeks play out, might be signing with a team or something.” The likelihood Bridgewater becomes a contributor at this point of the NFL season is low, but he has the desire to return to an NFL quarterback room. With 15,120 career passing yards and 75 touchdowns, Bridgewater would bring a veteran presence to any team that signs him.

Bridgewater is planning to coach high school football. Always in-between starting and “bridge” status, Bridgewater is only 31 but has had a “football life"-type career, including devastating injury setbacks. Bridgewater has had increasing difficulty staying healthy in recent seasons. It is probably a good decision to hang ‘em up while currently healthy. Bridgewater could still have another big moment or two in store for the playoff-bound Lions. He seems like someone bound to stay around the game, perhaps in a professional coaching capacity after he gets his feet wet at the high school level.

Bridgewater signed with the Lions following a successful workout earlier in the day and brings a veteran presence familiar with head coach Dan Campbell to the team. He should immediately step into the backup quarterback role for a Detroit roster devoid of experience behind starter Jared Goff. The Lions offered Bridgewater a contract in April but the two sides could not come to terms. Bridgewater had moderate success behind Tua Tagovailoa in Miami prior to injury in 2022 and also played well for the Broncos and Panthers during the 2021 and 2020 seasons, respectively.