The Detroit Lions welcomed a familiar face back into the quarterbacks room on the second day of the NFL’s open free agency negotiating period.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network broke the news on Tuesday, March 10 that Teddy Bridgewater is on his way back to the Motor City after a brief run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025.
“He’s back: Teddy Bridgewater is headed back to the #Lions, per The Insiders,” Rapoport reported through his X account.
Bridgewater was with Detroit in both 2023 and 2024, appearing in one regular-season game in 2023 as well as recording one playoff appearance after each of those seasons (two total). He will play his 12th year in the league at the age of 34 in 2026.
All told, Bridgewater has tallied 15,182 passing yards, 75 TDs and 47 INTs on a career completion rate of 66.3 percent. He has added 848 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Bridgewater is 33-32 as a starter across 83 games played.
Lions Have Not Needed Backup QB to Start Game for Jared Goff in Past 4 Years
GettyDetroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
If things continue as they have for the Lions and quarterback Jared Goff, the team won’t need Bridgewater to do much except manage the final minutes of big wins, and the occasional bad loss.
Goff, a three-time Pro Bowler since joining the franchise in 2021 via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, has started all 17 games in each of the past four campaigns. He started 14 contests during his first year with the Lions.
Goff is 48-33-1 in those 82 starts, tallying 21,451 passing yards, 149 touchdowns and 47 interceptions on a 67.9 percent completion rate. The Lions have made the playoffs in two of his five seasons with the franchise (2023, 2024), and Goff has a postseason record of 2-2 in Detroit.
The team missed the playoffs in 2025 after forfeiting its back-to-back division crowns to the Chicago Bears, though the Lions beat the Bears both times during the regular season and finished the campaign with a winning record (9-8).
Lions Have Addressed Offensive Line Depth With 3 Additions in Recent Days
GettyFormer Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker.
Aside from Bridgewater, Detroit has added five players through the first two days of free agency, most of them to the offensive side of the football.
The Lions brought in center Cade Mays on a three-year deal. The team also added offensive tackle Larry Borom, who is more of a depth piece than a starter, to bolster an offensive line that struggled with injury issues last season and parted ways with starting left tackle Taylor Decker this week.
“The Lions were still recovering from Frank Ragnow’s retirement and failed return last season, but filled a major need adding Mays,” Eric Woodyard of ESPN wrote. “His 94.3% pass block win rate ranked 20th among qualified centers last season, while allowing just one sack. Detroit still has other needs on the offensive line, especially after Taylor Decker requested a release last week.”
Detroit traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for Juice Scruggs and a couple of draft picks (fourth- and seventh-rounders), then replaced Montgomery with former Kansas City Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco who will back up superstar Jahmyr Gibbs.
Lions Reunite With Fan-Favorite QB on Day 2 of Free Agency