The Lions spent a third-round draft pick on quarterback Hendon Hooker this year, but the Tennessee product is expected to be sidelined into the fall while recovering from an ACL tear suffered in college. In the meantime, Detroit is adding insurance under center behind Jared Goff, signing veteran free agent Teddy Bridgewater on Monday, according to NFL Media.
“You just want to know that you are in the best hands possible,” Campbell said of the Lions’ interest in Bridgewater, per the Detroit News, on July 25. “It’s also the competition. It doesn’t mean that [current backup] Nate [Sudfeld] is out of anything if we go this route and it works out. You’ll feel good about whoever comes out of the fire … to help you along the way.”
Though Goff is entrenched as the Lions’ starter, Sudfeld was the only other QB with NFL experience on the roster. Hooker opened training camp on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list, which would require him to miss the first eight games of the season if he remains there after final roster cuts. Third-string competition Adrian Martinez is an undrafted rookie. There may not be a better quarterback for Hooker to learn from in terms of bouncing back from a torn ACL to have a long NFL career than Bridgewater. His knee injury occurred in 2016, entering his third NFL season after earning a Pro Bowl nod in his second year, 2015, with the Minnesota Vikings. Â
Bridgewater was arguably the top veteran QB remaining on the market. The former first-rounder has 65 career starts, with 31 coming most recently while serving as a backup and short-term starter with the Dolphins, Broncos and Panthers. Bridgewater has completed 67.4% of his passes since 2020, tossing 37 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. He received a “strong offer” from the Lions this April, per ESPN, perhaps in part due to his connection with Campbell. After a three-year run with the Vikings after being selected with the final first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Bridgewater spent two seasons as Drew Brees’ backup with the Saints from 2018-2019, where Campbell had been working as the assistant head coach.
