Dan Campbell is ready to bring some quarterback competition to the Detroit Lions training camp.
Campbell opened up on July 24 about the potential of signing former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, whom the Lions had courted earlier in the offseason as a potential upgrade at backup quarterback. The Lions hosted Bridgewater for a workout on July 24, and Campbell said on Tuesday that he would be “all for” adding Bridgewater to the team if the two sides can work out a deal.
Lions Keeping Close Tabs on Bridgewater
The Lions have been in contact with the journeyman quarterback throughout the offseason, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting on April 8 that the Lions made “a strong contract offer” to him. Bridgewater has remained a free agent, and Campbell said on Tuesday that the team has
“Yeah, we kind of kept – we’ve kept in touch with Teddy, and we’ve kept [backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld] abreast about that too,” the Lions head coach said, via USA Today’s Lions Wire. “We hadn’t hidden anything and so it went well. Gave us a chance to sit down with him face-to-face, particularly Ben (Johnson) and (Mark Brunell) Bru and Brad (Holmes). Gets me face-to-face with him again and then just the medical. It was good. It was a good visit. We’ll see where it goes.”
Campbell has a history with Bridgewater, as the two were together on the New Orleans Saints during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Lions coach said he would love to bring the quarterback to Detroit, where he could compete with Sudfeld for the chance to back up starter Jared Goff.
“Certainly – I don’t think I’ve hidden anything about my feelings for Teddy Bridgewater, so if we can add a guy like Teddy and bring competition to the room, I’m all for it,” Campbell said.
Lions Not Averse to Quarterback Moves
The Lions showed last summer that they are willing to make quick moves at quarterback. They released onetime starter David Blough just before the start of the 2022 season, picking up Sudfeld after he was released by the San Francisco 49ers.
Sudfeld could be vulnerable to leave in the same way that he joined the Lions, one insider speculated. Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire suggested in a pre-training camp roster preview that Sudfeld’s place on the team may not be all that secure.
“Nate Sudfeld figures to be the No. 2 QB, but this Lions regime has shown a willingness to make changes if Goff’s backup isn’t getting the job done satisfactorily in the preseason,” Risdon noted.
The competition to back up Goff could grow even more heated later in the season, when rookie Hendon Hooker is expected to return from a torn ACL that cut short his final season at Tennessee. Campbell said the rookie will be taking it easy as he goes through the final stages of his rehab, but was open to the possibility of him taking on a bigger role later in the year.
“This is a redshirt year for him,” Campbell said. “He’s gotta get this leg right first, and then he’ll learn under Jared [Goff]. And then let’s see what happens.”
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Dan Campbell Makes Eye-Opening Statement on Lions Offer to Former Rival QB