The Lions are bringing back an old friend: Teddy Bridgewater is returning to Detroit to back up Jared Goff, per reports.
Bridgewater served the same role in Detroit in 2023 and 2024, spelling Goff for a few snaps in the Lions' playoff loss to the Commanders in the latter season when Goff was briefly forced out of the game by an injury. He will fill the hole left by Kyle Allen, QB2 for Detroit last season who's reuniting with Josh Allen and the Bills.
Bridgewater spent last season with the Buccaneers backing up Baker Mayfield, seeing limited action in four games. He hasn't started a game in the NFL in four years, but he's valuable as a backup with a sharp mind for the game and as a positive influence on the young players around him.
Jameson Williams still credits Bridgewater for mentoring him in 2023 when Williams was sidelined by a suspension and struggling to kickstart his career.
"When Teddy came around, things weren’t going my way and he just told me to stay focused and keep moving forward. The life we live is different from others, and others want to be in the spot we’re in, so we can never take it for granted or get too worked up on ourself about mishaps or when things aren’t going right," Williams said last year. "You just gotta keep going until eventually it’s going to get right."
Bridgewater, 33, shouldn't have to be more than a backup next season. Goff hasn't missed a game for the Lions in four years.
On the other side of the ball, the Lions have re-signing cornerback Rock Ya-Sin to a one-year, $4 million, per NFL Network. The seven-year vet played in all 17 games last season and consistently stepped up when thrust into duty amid injuries in the secondary.
Ya-Sin wound up starting six games and finished second on the team with nine passes defended, a career high. He allowed a passer rating in coverage of 74.7, also a career best.