Teddy Bridgewater

Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning Big East Offensive Player of The Year in 2012 and leading the NCAA in completion percentage the following season. Bridgewater was selected as the final first-round pick of the 2014 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. During his second season, Bridgewater led the Vikings to a division title and earned Pro Bowl honors. Upon suffering a severe leg injury during the 2016 offseason, Bridgewater appeared in only one game over the next two years. He joined the New Orleans Saints in 2018 as a backup, becoming the starter in relief of Drew Brees for five games the following year and helping contribute to them winning their division. Bridgewater later held starting roles with the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos for one season each before serving as a backup for the Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After retiring from the NFL in 2023, Bridgewater became the head football coach at Miami Northwestern, his former high school, and led them to a state championship. Bridgewater returned to the NFL a year later, rejoining the Lions and Buccaneers as a backup before retiring in 2026.