Lions Have Tabled ‘Strong Offer’ to Top Free Agent Quarterback: Report

The Detroit Lions have had a busy offseason of free agency moves, and another intriguing one could be coming down the pipe in the days ahead.

After re-signing veteran quarterback Nate Sudfeld to back up Jared Goff, most would have expected the Lions to be out of the market for another player at the position, but that might not be the case at all.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler revealed on Saturday, April 8 that the Lions have interest in signing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, and are one of several teams that could be looking at making the deal. According to Fowler, the Lions even have a “strong offer” for the quarterback to consider.

“Free agent QB Teddy Bridgewater has interest from several teams, including a strong contract offer from the Lions, per source. Bridgewater hasn’t decided where he’s playing as he takes his time this offseason. Bridgewater can reunite w/ Dan Campbell from their New Orleans days,” Fowler tweeted.

As Fowler points out, if Detroit does eventually do the deal with Bridgewater, the move would pair him with Dan Campbell, whom he worked with in 2018 and 2019 in New Orleans. While starting for the Saints, Bridgewater put up a 5-1 record with 1,502 yards and 10 touchdowns to just two interceptions. That could indicate a level of comfort with Campbell, who was the team’s tight end coach at the time.

if the Lions added Bridgewater, it would be interesting to see if they would add a quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft. Many have indicated that would be a potential move for the team to consider, and the team could still make the move for a developmental prospect like Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.

Clearly, Bridgewater’s name is one to watch in the coming days for the Lions.

Teddy Bridgewater’s Career Stats & Highlights

Bridgewater has enjoyed a solid eight year career in the NFL ever since being a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft out of Louisville.

The Minnesota Vikings scooped up Bridgewater, and he enjoyed a solid three-year career with the Vikings in which he put up a total of 22 touchdowns through the air, and 6,150 total yards. He lost the 2017 season to an unfortunate ACL injury, but signed with New Orleans in 2018 and spent two seasons there.

In 2020, Bridgewater signed in Carolina, posting 15 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns. From there, he landed in Denver in 2021, putting up 3,052 yards and most recently spent the 2022 season as the backup in Miami, where he posted four touchdowns in relief of Tua Tagovailoa.

As a whole, Bridgewater has posted 15,120 yards passing with 75 touchdowns and 46 interceptions. He also has collected 846 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and has proven himself as a top dual-threat option in the league.

Lions Quarterback Situation Far From Settled

With this news, it’s clear that the team is still on the hunt for a difference maker at the position this offseason.

Sudfeld’s return seemed to indicate that the team was finished at quarterback, but by signing Bridgewater, that would seem to indicate that the Lions were looking for a player who could elevate things behind Goff.

In his four appearances in his NFL career, Sudfeld has just 188 yards to his credit on 25-of-37 passing, with one touchdown against one interception. Last season, Sudfeld only played in two games for the Lions, and didn’t register a stat.

The team might rather have a player like Bridgewater that could offer more upside in the event of Goff being hurt or having to miss time. Sudfeld doesn’t have tons of NFL experience, while Bridgewater has 65 NFL starts in his career.

If Bridgewater is signed, these will be very important facts for Lions fans to remember.