It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins have had a revolving door at quarterback since franchise legend Dan Marino retired prior to the 2000 season.
Quarterbacks like Ryan Tannehill and Tua Tagovailoa have had their fair share of success, which resulted in large contract extensions, but neither quarterback was able to prove they were the right man to lead the Dolphins long-term.
Now, one of the quarterbacks who was viewed as a strong backup plan to Tagovailoa has announced his retirement after a 12-year NFL career.
Former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Announces Retirement
Teddy Bridgewater, who was a member of the Miami Dolphins in the 2022 season, announced his retirement through social media.
Bridgewater posted on his Instagram:
“This time it’s official 😭.
It’s so crazy 10 years ago around this time, I suffered one of the most gruesome knee injuries the game itself, it’s players and some doctors had ever seen. Everything football related since 2016 had been fueled by the “experts” predicting that I would never play football again. We really showed them by playing 10 more seasons! However, this wheel of mine can no longer deal with something so simple as standing around on the turf field. This thing just doesn’t recover the same way it did years ago so I rather officially hang it up. It’s finally run its course and when the body speaks to me, I have to listen so that I can be in one piece and available for my children as they grow up. The game of football was beyond great to me and owes me nothing at all. I really did things my way Lol.”
Bridgewater appeared in 83 NFL games, as he played for seven different teams. Throughout his career, the former Dolphins backup earned over $66 million in career earnings. His largest contract occurred prior to the 2020 season as he signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Panthers. Unfortunately, that did not pan out as Carolina moved on after one season.
Bridgewater previously announced his retirement prior to the 2024 season, but would then unretire and join the Detroit Lions toward the end of the regular season.
Bridgewater’s Dolphins Tenure
Prior to the 2022 season, Bridgewater signed with the Dolphins on a one-year, $6.5 million contract. Miami’s head coach at the time, Mike McDaniel, had indicated that the team was looking for a veteran mentor to Tagovailoa, who could also step in if Tagovailoa missed time. McDaniel would later reveal that despite not mentioning him by name, he was specifically referencing Bridgewater.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Bridgewater struggled to replace Tagovailoa when the latter suffered a concussion and was forced to miss time. In his brief stint as Miami’s quarterback, Bridgewater struggled to stay healthy as he suffered a concussion and a broken finger. The injuries, alongside his disappointing play, led Miami to start third-string rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson in their playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. Bridgewater served as Miami’s backup quarterback during the team’s playoff loss
Following the season, Miami would not re-sign Bridgewater as he signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Detroit Lions.
Ex-Dolphins $60 Million Quarterback Announces Retirement