Teddy Bridgewater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1992-11-10) November 10, 1992 (age 32) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:	Miami Northwestern (FL)
College:	Louisville (2011–2013)
NFL Draft:	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 32
Career history
As player:
Minnesota Vikings (2014) New York Jets (2018)* New Orleans Saints (2018) Carolina Panthers (2020) Denver Broncos (2021) Miami Dolphins (2022) Detroit Lions (2023)
As coach:
Miami Northwestern (FL) (2024–present) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (2015) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2014) Art Rooney Award (2020) First-team All-Big East (2012) Second-team All-AAC (2013) Big East Offensive Player of The Year (2012) Big East Rookie of the Year (2011)
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 2,067 Passing completions: 1,372 Completion percentage: 66.4% TD–INT: 75–47 Passing yards: 15,120 Passer rating: 90.5
Player stats at PFR

Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American football quarterback. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. He helped them win the 2013 Sugar Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings picked him in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.

In his second season, Bridgewater led the Vikings to win their division. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl. Later, he had a serious leg injury in 2016. This injury kept him from playing much for two years. Bridgewater then joined the New Orleans Saints in 2018 as a backup. The next year, he started five games when Drew Brees was hurt. He helped the Saints win their division. Bridgewater also started for the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. He spent his last two seasons as a backup for the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. After first retiring from the NFL in 2023, Bridgewater became a high school football coach. He coached at Miami Northwestern, his old high school. He returned to the Lions in 2024 after leading Miami Northwestern to a state championship.

Early Life and High School Football

Teddy Bridgewater was born in Miami, Florida, on November 10, 1992. His parents are Teddy Bridgewater Sr. and Rose Murphy. He went to Miami Northwestern Senior High School. The football field at his school was later named after him.

High School Success

As a sophomore, Teddy became the starting quarterback. He took over a team that had won a national championship the year before. He threw for 1,560 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also ran for 211 yards and two touchdowns. His team finished the season with 13 wins and 3 losses. They lost in the state championship game.

In his junior year, Bridgewater threw for 2,546 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also ran for 379 yards and five touchdowns. In one game, he threw a record seven touchdowns. He was named second-team All-State. His team finished with 10 wins and 2 losses.

As a senior, Bridgewater had 2,606 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. He missed some games due to a leg injury. He also ran for 223 yards and eight touchdowns. His team had 9 wins and 3 losses. They lost in the state semifinals.

Experts thought Bridgewater was one of the best quarterback prospects. He played in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He first planned to go to the University of Miami. But he changed his mind and decided to go to the University of Louisville.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Teddy Bridgewater QB	Miami, Florida	Miami Northwestern High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.19	Dec 10, 2010
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 6 (QB)   Rivals: 6 (QB), 23 (FL), 113 (National)  ESPN: 9 (QB), 73 (Southeast)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Football Career

Bridgewater at Louisville in 2011.

Teddy Bridgewater started his college career at Louisville in 2011. He began as a backup quarterback. But by the fourth game, he became the starter. He stayed the starter for the rest of the year. He threw for 2,129 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named the Big East Rookie of the Year. He was also named a freshman All-American.

In 2012, as a sophomore, Bridgewater started most games. In one game, he came off the bench while injured. He led his team to a win and a Big East title. This win also earned them a spot in the BCS. He finished the season with 3,452 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year.

Sugar Bowl Victory

The Louisville Cardinals played against the Florida Gators in the 2013 Sugar Bowl. Many people thought Florida would win. But Bridgewater played great. He threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Louisville won the game 33–23.

As a junior in 2013, Bridgewater had an amazing season. He threw for 3,970 yards and 31 touchdowns. In his last college game, the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl, he threw for 447 yards and three touchdowns. He was again named the game's MVP.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Before the 2014 NFL draft, many experts thought Bridgewater would be one of the top players chosen. He decided to leave college early to enter the draft.

Minnesota Vikings

Bridgewater in 2014

The Minnesota Vikings picked Bridgewater as the 32nd player in the 2014 NFL Draft. They traded some of their other draft picks to move up and get him. He signed a four-year contract with the Vikings.

2014 Season: Rookie Year

Bridgewater started his first NFL season as the backup quarterback. He made his NFL debut on September 21, 2014. He came into the game when the starting quarterback got hurt. Bridgewater then became the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

In his first start, he threw for 317 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown. He led the Vikings to a win. He later helped the Vikings win more games, setting a team record for rookie quarterbacks. One notable play was an 87-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright.

Bridgewater finished his first year with 2,919 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named the quarterback for the 2014 NFL All-Rookie team. Fans also voted him the 2014 Pepsi Rookie of the Year award.

2015 Season: Pro Bowl

Bridgewater in 2015

In 2015, Bridgewater had some tough games early on. But he improved throughout the season. He had one of his best games against the Detroit Lions, throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns. He also led his team to several comeback wins.

In Week 15, he had a career-high game against the Chicago Bears. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown. In Week 17, the Vikings played the Green Bay Packers for the division title. Even though Bridgewater had a lower passing rating, the Vikings won 20–13. This was their first division title since 2009.

Bridgewater finished his second season with 3,231 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. He was chosen for his first Pro Bowl on January 25, 2016.

2016 Season: Serious Injury

On August 30, 2016, Bridgewater suffered a very serious injury to his left leg during practice. He tore his ACL and had other damage to his knee. The injury was so bad that doctors said it was like a "war wound." He missed the entire 2016 season because of it. The Vikings then traded for another quarterback, Sam Bradford.

2017 Season: Recovery and Return

Doctors initially thought Bridgewater would miss all of the 2017 season. But he worked hard to recover. He started throwing and doing individual drills in May 2017. He was cleared to practice in October. On November 8, he was added back to the active team roster.

Bridgewater played in one game in Week 15. He came into the game in the fourth quarter. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. He threw one interception in his two pass attempts. The Vikings won the game 34–7.

New York Jets

Bridgewater in 2018

On March 18, 2018, Bridgewater signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets.

New Orleans Saints

2018 Season: Backup Role

On August 29, 2018, the Jets traded Bridgewater to the New Orleans Saints. He played in a few games, mostly taking a knee to end the game.

On December 28, he started his first game since 2015. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. The Saints lost the game 33–14.

2019 Season: Stepping Up

On March 15, 2019, Bridgewater signed another one-year contract with the Saints. In Week 2, he replaced Drew Brees, who got hurt. Bridgewater completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards.

He became the starting quarterback for Week 3. He led the Saints to a 33–27 victory. This was his first game with more than one touchdown pass since 2015. Two weeks later, he threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns in a 31–24 win. He continued to play well, helping the Saints win games until Brees returned from his injury.

Carolina Panthers

Bridgewater in 2020

On March 26, 2020, Bridgewater signed a three-year contract with the Carolina Panthers.

He made his Panthers debut in a close loss. He threw for 269 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. In Week 3, he got his first win as a Panther. He threw for 235 yards and a touchdown. He had several games with over 300 passing yards.

Bridgewater finished the 2020 season with career-high numbers. He had 3,733 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 279 yards.

Denver Broncos

On April 28, 2021, Bridgewater was traded to the Denver Broncos. He competed for the starting job and won it.

On September 12, he made his Broncos debut. He completed 28 of 36 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He led the team to a 27–13 victory. He helped the Broncos start the season with a 3–0 record. However, he suffered a concussion in Week 15. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. He finished the 2021 season with 3,052 passing yards and 18 touchdowns.

Miami Dolphins

On March 17, 2022, Bridgewater signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins.

He played in several games when the starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, was injured. In Week 4, he threw for 193 yards and a touchdown. In Week 5, he left the game due to a concussion. The next week, he came in for another injured quarterback and threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns.

Bridgewater started in Week 17. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. He left the game with a broken finger. This injury meant he could not play in the final game of the season.

Detroit Lions

On August 10, 2023, Bridgewater signed with the Detroit Lions. This reunited him with his former coach, Dan Campbell.

On December 16, 2023, Bridgewater said he planned to retire from the NFL after the season. He wanted to become a high school football coach. He officially announced his retirement on February 2, 2024.

However, a year later, Bridgewater announced he would return to play in the NFL. He re-signed with the Lions on December 26, 2024. He backed up starting quarterback Jared Goff. Bridgewater briefly played in a playoff game against the Washington Commanders. He completed one pass for three yards. He also handed off the ball in a trick play that led to a 61-yard rushing touchdown.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Postseason

Coaching Career

After the 2023 NFL season, Teddy Bridgewater officially retired from playing football. He then became the head coach for Miami Northwestern Senior High School, his old school. In his first season, Bridgewater led Miami Northwestern to win the Class 3A state title in Florida.

In July 2025, Bridgewater was suspended from his coaching job. This happened because he provided extra help to his players. He paid for things like rides, meals, and recovery services for the team. These actions went against the rules for high school sports.

Personal Life

Teddy Bridgewater grew up in Miami. He was the youngest of four children. His mother, Rose, raised them as a single parent. Teddy is a Christian. He earned a degree in Sports Administration from the University of Louisville.

His mother, Rose, is a breast cancer survivor. In 2014, after Teddy was drafted, Cadillac gave his mother a pink Escalade. They did this because they learned Teddy had always wanted to get her one since he was a young child.

Head Coaching Record

See also

In Spanish: Teddy Bridgewater para niños