Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
for the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL).
Born and raised in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, he graduated from
Miami Northwestern high school. Bridgewater went on to play
college football at
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
, leading the Cardinals to an upset victory over the
Florida Gators in the
2013 Sugar Bowl. He was selected in the first round of the
2014 NFL Draft by the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
. During his second season, he led the Vikings to a
NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough r ...
division title and earned
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
honors. However, Bridgewater and the Vikings narrowly lost their 2015 Wild Card game to the
Seattle Seahawks. Upon suffering a severe leg injury the following off-season, Bridgewater appeared in only one game over the next two years.
A free agent following the 2017 season, Bridgewater briefly joined the
New York Jets during the 2018 season before signing with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in 2019. Serving as the Saint's backup quarterback, he eventually served as the team's starter in relief of
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees i ...
. Following his time with the Saints, he was later the starting quarterback for the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
and
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
for one season each. Bridgewater joined the Dolphins in 2022 as a backup.
Early years
The son of Teddy Bridgewater Sr. and Rose Murphy, Bridgewater was born in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
on November 10, 1992. He attended
Miami Northwestern Senior High School
Miami Northwestern Senior High School is a public four-year high school located in Miami, Florida, United States
History
Academics
Northwestern has long been known for its academic challenges; however, the school has shown an unprecedented ...
. In his sophomore year, he replaced
Jacory Harris
Jacory Sherrod Harris (born May 12, 1990) is a former Canadian football quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and a current firefighter in Miami for the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department.
Harris started ...
as starting quarterback and took over a team that had been named the 2007
national champions
National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...
by ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
''. He completed 97 of 160 attempts (60.6 percent) for 1,560 yards over the season, throwing 16 touchdowns with three interceptions. He also carried 45 times for 211 yards (4.7 average) and two more scores. Northwestern finished the season 13–3, falling short to
Seminole High School of
Sanford 28–21 in the 6A state title game.
As a junior, Bridgewater passed for 2,546 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for 379 yards and five more scores. In a late-September game against
Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School
, motto_translation = ''Work Conquers All''
, streetaddress = 7977 West 12th Avenue
, city = Hialeah
, state = Florida
, zipcode = 33014
, country = United States
, coordinates =
, type = P ...
, he completed 19 of 24 passes for 327 yards and a
Dade County record of seven touchdowns. He was named second-team All-State for 6A classification and first-team All-County by the ''
Miami Herald''. Northwestern finished the season 10–2, after a 29–16 loss to rival
Miami Central High School
Miami Central Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1781 NW 95th Street in West Little River, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.0.1%
80.7% of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Miami Central has a large Hait ...
.
As a senior, Bridgewater had 2,606 passing yards and 22 touchdowns despite missing parts of the season with a
medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament (MCL), or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. Its primary function is to resist outwar ...
injury. He also rushed for 223 yards and eight more scores. Northwestern had a 9–3 record for the season, losing 42–27 to Miami Central in the 6-A semifinals, in which he threw for 436 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Regarded as a four-star recruit, Bridgewater was considered the sixth best dual-threat quarterback prospect in the nation by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
. He played in the 2011
U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Bridgewater originally committed to the University of Miami in June 2010. But, after the firing of Miami head coach Randy Shannon in November 2010, Bridgewater switched his commitment to the University of Louisville, over additional offers from Kansas State, LSU, Florida, Rutgers, Tennessee, and USF.
College career
As a freshman at Louisville in 2011, Bridgewater entered the season as a backup to Will Stein. However, by the Cardinals' fourth game of the season against
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
, he was starting and remained the starter the rest of the year. He finished the season completing 191 of 296 passes for 2,129 yards with 14
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
and 12
interceptions. For his play, he was named the
Big East
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
Rookie of the Year and was named a freshman All-American by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
,
Scout.com
Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
,
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...
, and ''
Sporting News''.
As a sophomore in 2012, Bridgewater started 11 of 12 regular season games. In his only non-starting action, coming off the bench while injured against
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
, he led his team to a win, a
Big East
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
title, and a berth to the
BCS. He finished the regular season completing 267 of 387 passes for 3,452 yards with 25
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
and just 7
interceptions. He finished 6th in the nation in completion percentage, 8th in yards per attempt, and 7th in
passing efficiency
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leagu ...
. For his play, he was named the
Big East
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
Offensive Player of the Year.
Bridgewater and his
Cardinals football team entered the
2013 Sugar Bowl against the
Florida Gators as decided underdogs. Although Florida boasted the nation's #1 pass efficiency defense, Bridgewater passed for 266 yards and a pair of touchdowns to become the game's MVP in a 33–23 win.
As a junior in 2013, Bridgewater completed 303 of 427 passes for 3,970 yards with 31 touchdowns and four interceptions. In his final college game against the
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
in the
2013 Russell Athletic Bowl
The 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 28, 2013 at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS footbal ...
, he completed 35 of 42 passes for 447 yards three touchdowns and was named the game's MVP.
Statistics
Professional career
As early as April 2013, Bridgewater was seen as one of the top prospects for the
2014 NFL Draft, alongside
Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Davarus Clowney ( ; born February 14, 1993) is an American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina, where he won the Ted Hendricks Award, and w ...
and
Johnny Manziel
Johnathan Paul Manziel ( ; born December 6, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the FCF Zappers of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played two seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) and was also a me ...
. Reports said that, had he been eligible for the 2013 Draft, he most likely would have been the first quarterback taken. At one point, he was projected by many to be the first overall pick in the draft. On January 1, 2014, Bridgewater announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility at Louisville.
Minnesota Vikings
2014 season
Bridgewater was selected by the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
as the 32nd and final pick of the first round of the draft. The Vikings had traded their second round and fourth round picks to the
Seattle Seahawks to move up and select Bridgewater. Bridgewater signed a four-year contract worth $6.85 million with a $3.3 million signing bonus with the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
.
Bridgewater entered the season as the second-string quarterback, behind veteran
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots ...
, but ahead of
Christian Ponder
Christian Andrew Ponder (born February 25, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Minnesot ...
. Bridgewater made his NFL debut on September 21, 2014, against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, entering in relief of the injured Cassel and finishing the game with 150 passing yards. He was named the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season after Cassel, who broke his foot in the aforementioned game, was placed on injured reserve.
On September 28, 2014, Bridgewater made his first NFL start against the
Atlanta Falcons and won the game, in large part due to his 317 passing yards, and scored his first NFL touchdown on a 13-yard rush. After spraining his ankle during the Falcons matchup, Bridgewater was inactive for the next game against the
Green Bay Packers in Week 5. However, he was able to recover in time for the Week 6 game against the
Detroit Lions. However, a weak offensive line against a strong Lions' defense led to a 17–3 rout. Bridgewater was intercepted three times, two from tipped passes, and was sacked eight times. During Week 7 against the
Buffalo Bills, Bridgewater threw his first NFL touchdown pass to
Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson ( ; born March 17, 1991), nicknamed "Flash", is an American football player for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, return specialist ...
. Despite being sacked five times and throwing two interceptions, Bridgewater helped the Vikings get a 16–10 lead, but the effort was negated only by the Bills' comeback win which put them up 17–16 with no time to retaliate. In the next game against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
, Bridgewater threw for 241 yards and a touchdown and was sacked only once. He led a game-tying drive to force overtime, where fellow first-round pick
Anthony Barr made a fumble recovery on the Bucs' first overtime play, giving the Vikings a 19–13 win. His third win as a starter, a 29–26 comeback win over the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, broke a franchise record shared by
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at ...
and Ponder for wins among starting rookie quarterbacks. Bridgewater added to this record with wins over the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
,
New York Jets, and
Chicago Bears in weeks 13, 14, and 17 respectively. The win over the Jets is notable for when wide receiver
Jarius Wright
Jarius Wright (born November 25, 1989) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, wher ...
turned a screen pass from Bridgewater into an 87-yard touchdown, giving the Vikings another overtime win.
Bridgewater finished his rookie year with 2,919 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and an 85.2 passer rating. He also rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown. He played in 13 games, starting 12 of them. On January 13, 2015, Bridgewater was selected as the quarterback of the 2014 NFL All-Rookie team by the Pro Football Writers of America, joining
Tommy Kramer
Thomas Francis Kramer (born March 7, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 to 1990. He played college football at Rice University and was selected by the Mi ...
as the only Vikings quarterbacks to claim this award. Bridgewater also won the 2014 Pepsi Rookie of the Year award, as voted by fans.
2015 season
Bridgewater threw for no touchdowns and an interception behind a struggling offensive line that allowed five sacks in the 3–20 loss at the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in Week 1. He threw only 18 times the next game, but completed 14 of those passes for 153 yards and threw his first touchdown pass of the year to tight end
Kyle Rudolph
Kyle Daniel Rudolph (born November 9, 1989) is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second ...
in a 26–16 win over the
Detroit Lions in Minnesota's home opener. Bridgewater had some struggles in week three against the
San Diego Chargers, going 13 of 24 for 121 yards and one interception but won the game 31–14 with a strong performance by the defense and running back
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
. He rebounded to go 27 of 41, 269 yards and a touchdown pass to
Mike Wallace
Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspo ...
against
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
who had the number one ranked defense coming into the game. Minnesota still lost 23–20 as Bridgewater was sacked seven times. Coming off of a bye week, he threw 31 times and completed 17 of them for 249 yards with another touchdown pass to Rudolph, but threw two interceptions in a sloppy 16–10 win against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
. Bridgewater then had arguably the best game of his career the next week against the
Detroit Lions, going 25 of 35, 316 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions, including his first touchdown pass to rookie
Stefon Diggs
Stefon Marsean Diggs (born November 29, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round ...
. That game was Bridgewater's fourth career 300+ yard passing game, and the second 300+ passing game of Bridgewater's career against the Lions. Bridgewater led his fourth career fourth-quarter comeback at the Bears despite having a below-average day going 17 of 30, 187 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Bridgewater went 13 of 21 for 144 yards and an interception while also rushing for a touchdown and two-point conversion against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
before he sustained a blow to the head by the Rams' safety
Lamarcus Joyner that caused Bridgewater to leave the game in the fourth quarter. Minnesota still managed to pull off a 21–18 victory in overtime against the Rams. At home against the
Chicago Bears in week 15, Bridgewater completed 17 of 20 pass attempts, four passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in a 38–17 win, giving him a career-high passer rating (154.4). In a fight for the
NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough r ...
Division Title in week 17 against the
Green Bay Packers, Bridgewater connected only 52.6% of his passes for 99 yards and an interception. Despite his career-lowest passer rating (45.7), the Vikings pulled off a 20–13 victory and won their first division title since
2009.
Bridgewater finished his second season with 3,231 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He also rushed for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns.
On January 10, in the Wild Card Round against the
Seattle Seahawks in one of the coldest games ever played, Bridgewater was 17-of-24 for 146 yards as the Vikings fell 10–9.
On January 25, 2016, he was named to his first
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
2016 season
During a team practice on August 30, 2016, Bridgewater suffered a non-contact injury to his left leg. A subsequent MRI confirmed that he tore his ACL and suffered other structural damage, including a dislocation of the knee joint. As a result, Bridgewater missed the rest of the 2016 season. After the loss of Bridgewater for at least the 2016 season, the Vikings traded a first-round pick in the
2017 NFL Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia ...
and a conditional fourth-round pick in the
2018 NFL Draft to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
for quarterback
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the ...
. In 2016, the Vikings went 8–8, finishing third in the NFC North and missing the playoffs, despite starting the season with a 5–0 record.
2017 season
Originally, the media reported that Bridgewater's injury would keep him out for 17–19 months, meaning he would miss the entire 2017 season. In January 2017, doctors confirmed that the healing would indeed take 19 months.
On May 1, 2017, the Vikings declined the fifth-year option on Bridgewater's contract, making him a free agent after the 2017 season.
Bridgewater began throwing and doing individual work in May at Vikings mini-camps. Head coach
Mike Zimmer
Michael Zimmer (born June 5, 1956) is an American football coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. Prior to this, Zimmer was with Jackson State, both college programs being led by Deion Sanders. He previously also served as the head coach of the Minn ...
said on June 6, that Bridgewater "has a long way to go" until he is fully healed, but was impressed by his rehabilitation progress to that point. However, on September 2, the Vikings announced that he would begin the season on the
PUP list, meaning that he would miss the first six games to begin the year.
On October 16, he was cleared to practice, but could not return to action for three more weeks. Bridgewater was activated off PUP to the active roster on November 8 to be
Case Keenum's backup. Bridgewater entered the Week 15 game against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
in relief of Keenum in the fourth quarter. The crowd gave Bridgewater a standing ovation as he walked onto the field. He finished with an interception out of two pass attempts as the Vikings won 34–7.
New York Jets
On March 18, 2018, Bridgewater signed a one-year contract with the
New York Jets. The contract only guaranteed a $500,000 signing bonus, though he could make up to a maximum of $15 million from a non-guaranteed salary and incentives.
New Orleans Saints
2018 season
On August 29, 2018, the Jets traded Bridgewater and a
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
sixth-round draft pick to the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
for a 2019 third-round draft pick.
Bridgewater made his Saints debut on October 8 against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, taking a knee twice to close out the game. He did this in two more games later in the season.
On December 28, with the Saints already having locked up the #1 seed, it was announced that Bridgewater would start in the season finale against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. Making his first start since 2015, Bridgewater finished the game completing 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the Saints lost 14–33. He also rushed for 12 yards.
2019 season
On March 15, 2019, Bridgewater signed a one-year, $7.25 million fully guaranteed contract with the Saints. During Week 2, he replaced
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees i ...
, who left with a right thumb injury, completing 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards in a 27–9 loss to the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
. Due to Brees's injury, Bridgewater was named the starting quarterback for Week 3. In that game, Bridgewater completed 19 of 27 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints defeated the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
on the road by a score of 33-27. This was the first game where Bridgewater threw for more than one touchdown in a game since week 15 of the 2015 season. In Week 5 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
, Bridgewater threw for 314 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in the 31–24 win. In Week 6, against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, he had 240 passing yards and one passing touchdown in the 13–6 victory. In Week 7, against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, he had 281 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Brees returned from his injury in Week 8 against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
.
Carolina Panthers
On March 26, 2020, Bridgewater signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
. Bridgewater made his debut with the Panthers in Week 1 against the
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...
. During the game, Bridgewater threw for 269 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown to former Jets' teammate
Robby Anderson
Robbie Anderson (born May 9, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Temple. Anderson was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent i ...
, in the 34-30 loss. During Week 2 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
, Bridgewater finished with 367 passing yards and two interceptions as the Panthers lost, 31-17. In Week 3 against the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
, Bridgewater threw for 235 yards and one touchdown during the 21–16 win. This was Bridgewater's first win as a Panther.
In Week 5 against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Bridgewater threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns during the 23–16 win. In Week 9 against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, Bridgewater threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 19 yards and another touchdown during the 33-31 loss. Bridgewater finished the season with career-high totals in several statistics, including completions (340), passing yards (3,733), touchdowns (15) and rushing yards (279).
Denver Broncos
On April 28, 2021, weeks after the Panthers acquired
Sam Darnold in a trade with the Jets, Bridgewater was traded to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick. The team brought in Bridgewater to compete with incumbent quarterback
Drew Lock
Andrew Stephen Lock (born November 10, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Missouri and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round ...
, and the players split starts throughout the 2021 preseason. On August 25, 2021, the Broncos announced that Bridgewater had won the starting job.
On September 12, Bridgewater made his Broncos debut on the road against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, completing 28-of-36 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–13 season-opening victory. He then led the team to 2–0 with a victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
in Week 2 with a 328-yard, two-touchdown day. Bridgewater suffered a concussion in the Broncos Week 15 loss to the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
ruling him out for the rest of the season. Bridgewater was placed on injured reserve on January 5, 2022. He finished the 2021 season with 3,052 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with two rushing touchdowns.
Miami Dolphins
On March 17, 2022, Bridgewater signed a one-year contract with the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
worth up to $10 million.
Bridgewater made his first appearance for the Dolphins in Week 3 against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
after starter
Tua Tagovailoa
Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa ( ; born March 2, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was the Offensive MVP of the 2018 College Foo ...
briefly left the game in the second quarter. He attempted two passes and was sacked once before Tagovailoa returned in the second half. In Week 4 against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, Bridgewater came in the second quarter after Tagovailoa left the game with a head and neck injury. Bridgewater threw for 193 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 27-15 loss. During Week 5 against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, Bridgewater committed an intentional grounding penalty that occurred in the endzone for a safety. During the play, he was hit by Ahmad Gardner and left the game due to a concussion. In Week 6, against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
, Bridgewater came into the game in relief of Skylar Thompson and passed for 329 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 24–16 loss.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
NFL records
* First rookie quarterback to ever complete over 70% of his passes in four straight games.
Vikings franchise records
* Most wins in a season by a rookie starting quarterback: 6
* Highest single season completion percentage by a rookie: 64.4
* Highest single season passer rating by a rookie: 85.2
* Most passing attempts in a season by a rookie: 402
* Most games with 30 passing attempts by a rookie: 6
* Most games with 40 passing attempts by a rookie: 3
* Most completions in a season by a rookie: 259
* Most passing yards by a rookie quarterback: 2,919
* Longest pass by a rookie quarterback: 87
* Most completions in a game by a rookie: 31 (
December 14, 2014)
* Highest completion percentage in a single game by a rookie quarterback with at least 40 attempts: 75.6% (
December 14, 2014)
Personal life
Bridgewater grew up in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
as the youngest of four children to a single mother. He is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. He graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in Sports Administration after the 2013 college football season. His mother, Rose, is a breast cancer survivor. In 2014, soon after her son was drafted by the Vikings,
Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
presented a pink
Escalade
{{Unreferenced, date=May 2007
Escalade is the act of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders. Escalade was a prominent feature of sieges in ancient and medieval warfare, and though it is no longer common in modern warfare, ...
to Rose when they learned that Bridgewater had wanted to get her one since he was in the third grade.
References
External links
Miami Dolphins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridgewater, Teddy
1992 births
Living people
African-American players of American football
American football quarterbacks
Carolina Panthers players
Denver Broncos players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients
Louisville Cardinals football players
Miami Dolphins players
Miami Northwestern Senior High School alumni
Minnesota Vikings players
New Orleans Saints players
New York Jets players
Players of American football from Miami
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players