Bridgewater Retires Again; Lions Tap Altmyer as Goff's Backup
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- Teddy Bridgewater was placed on the reserve/retired list during Lions training camp after missing the last two practices for an undisclosed reason, just months after Detroit signed him as an unrestricted free agent to back up Jared Goff.
- Dan Campbell said he believes this retirement "is where it's at for sure," and that Bridgewater's biggest worry was "letting us down" — a quote Campbell echoed twice while praising the quarterback as an "unbelievable" teammate and person.
- Bridgewater, 33, had previously retired after the 2023 season before returning to the Lions, and his latest exit marks the end of his third stint with Detroit after also serving as Goff's backup in 2023 and 2024.
- Luke Altmyer, an undrafted rookie, will fill the QB2 role and is expected to take heavy snaps in the Lions' preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, with Campbell saying "Luke is getting better" but "just needs reps."
- The Lions will sign a veteran quarterback for depth, with Campbell saying "we'd like to add a veteran QB and we're hoping maybe something happens tomorrow."
- Across 83 career games and 65 starts, Bridgewater — the 2015 Pro Bowler and a 2014 first-round pick out of Louisville — completed 66.3% of his passes for 15,182 yards and 75 touchdowns with a 90.3 passer rating.
Why it matters: Bridgewater's exit leaves the Lions with an undrafted rookie as their only quarterback behind Jared Goff heading into Thursday's preseason opener, forcing Detroit to scramble for a veteran signing with minimal time to develop chemistry. The timing — mid-camp, after he was signed in March specifically as experienced insurance — guts the depth chart at football's most important position right when rosters are being finalized.
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