Mailbag: What does Detroit Lions’ interest in Teddy Bridgewater mean for the NFL Draft?

On Saturday morning, news broke that the Detroit Lions had given free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater a significant offer. Bridgewater is still considering his options, and it’s entirely possible he doesn’t make that decision until after the NFL Draft.

Recently, the Lions signed Nate Sudfeld to be their backup, and seemed to suggest that they were happy with that move in free agency. While it’s unclear if Bridgewater’s offer was given before Sudfeld re-signed or not, it does highlight the team’s desire to upgrade their quarterback room, which is something general manager Brad Holmes has not been shy about this offseason.

“We don’t have a lot behind (Jared Goff),” Holmes said at the NFL Combine. “We were kinda sliding into home plate at the very end off of training camp trying to find a backup quarterback. (We were) able to get Nate Sudfeld, and (he) did a nice job for us, but we’ve had these open, transparent conversations about—we’re happy with Jared, he’s our starter, but we need to add some pieces in that room overall.”

Many have speculated that because the Lions haven’t truly added competition in free agency, it means they will devote somewhat significant resources to the position in the draft. After all, the Lions plan on bringing in Tennessee quarterback Hendon hooker for a top-30 visit. Does the team’s interest in Bridgewater suggest they’ll approach the draft any differently?

We discuss that on this week’s Spotify Live call-in show. The conversation starts around the 25:30 mark.

Erik Schlitt isn’t buying it.

“There is no way Teddy Bridgewater impacts the Lions’ decisions in the draft, because they’re not going to gamble on it,” Schlitt said. “If (Hendon) Hooker is in the conversation for them, he’s in the conversation for them and that’s fine. Bridgewater is a guy that they like—obviously if they’re giving him a strong contract (offer)—but there is zero chance they make a decision in the draft based on how that may impact Bridgewater.”

I agreed, noting that Bridgewater now makes a nice backup plan if the Lions don’t get a quarterback they like in the draft. They shouldn’t feel forced to make a pick at quarterback if the opportunity doesn’t arise, but they’d still take one if they like him enough.

“If they’re interested in getting a quarterback—whether it’s a starter or backup now—they don’t have to grab one (in the draft) now, because they potentially have Teddy Bridgewater waiting in the wings,” I said.

We talk a lot more about Bridgewater, Hooker, and a ton of non-quarterback topics in this week’s episode. Here’s the episode guide:

• Digging into the safety class in the 2023 NFL Draft and whether the Lions should draft one (3:00)
• Revisiting Calvin Johnson spat and how NFL’s contract landscape has changed (11:30)
• Could the Lions somehow trade back and get a 2024 first-round pick? (27:00)
• Could Will Anderson actually fall to the Lions at 6? (43:30)
• Is six overall too rich for Peter Skoronski? (49:35)
• Which Lions player should host the next internet show for the Lions? (54:30)
• Who are the best mid-to-late-round running back targets to replace D’Andre Swift? (1:01:10)
• Could the Lions draft a defensive tackle at both 6 and 18? (1:08:00)
• Are we all getting too excited for the Lions? (1:13:00)
• What’s the latest on Levi Onwuzurike and how does Josh Paschal fit in? (1:22:40)

Check out the entire episode below: