Teddy Bridgewater retires; Lions add veteran QB Joshua Dobbs
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater announced his retirement, prompting the Detroit Lions to place him on the reserve/retired list and sign veteran Joshua Dobbs as a backup.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell confirmed on Sunday that veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is retiring from the NFL for good. Bridgewater, who served as Jared Goff’s backup in 2023 and briefly returned late in the 2024 season, was placed on the reserve/retired list before practice.
"He’s going to step away," Campbell said, adding that Bridgewater had been a valued teammate and leader.
Bridgewater, who spent the 2024 season coaching high school football at Miami Northwestern and made a single pass in a playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, had previously retired and returned multiple times. He told the Free Press earlier in the year that he still felt he had "so much left in the tank."
Following Bridgewater’s departure, the Lions signed veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who appeared in four games for New England in 2025. The team expects Dobbs to compete for the backup role and could be active for the preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Lions now list Jared Goff and undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer as the only quarterbacks on the active roster. Campbell noted that Altmyer has been receiving increased reps and is showing improvement, but the organization wants to add a veteran presence at the position.
"Luke is growing, Luke is getting better, he just needs reps," Campbell said.
In addition to Dobbs, Detroit signed cornerback Ryan Cooper and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, and waived tight end Nick Muse on Sunday.