Detroit Lions host QB Teddy Bridgewater for free agent visit

The Detroit Lions never leave a stone unturned and are constantly searching for options to improve their roster. On Monday, the Lions proved this yet again as ESPN’s Field Yates reported that Detroit hosted quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for a free agent visit.

The Lions and Bridgewater had a mutual interest in joining forces ahead of the NFL draft, with ESPN reposting that Detroit had made a “strong contract offer” to bring in the veteran signal-caller. Ultimately, the two sides never came to an agreement and the deal appeared to fall apart after the Lions drafted Hendon Hooker in the third round.

With Hooker starting camp on the NFI list and an unclear timeline of when he will be able to take the field, it’s possible that the Lions are re-considering Bridgewater as a potential competition for Detroit’s backup quarterback position.

And I say “competition,” because the Lions already have a QB2 that they feel confident with in Nate Sudfeld—who spent all of last season in that role. Campbell spoke to the media about Sudfeld’s value as a reserve quarterback during Monday’s training camp press conference:

“We like Nate [...] Here’s what you want to know, that a guy can go in there and at the very least, he’s going to get you in the right play. He can function, he’s not going to panic. Now, is everything going to be perfect right – but you just want to know hey, this isn’t going to be too big for him and he knows the playbook, he’ll get us in the right play and we’ve got to play a certain way and I do believe that with Nate. And I’m talking about – that’s the starting point. And now we get him another year here, we’re in camp, let’s see where he goes. I thought by the end of spring he was doing some really good things, so we’re excited to have him back.”

While the Lions feel confident in what Sudfeld brings to the table, it’s worth noting that Campbell and Bridgewater have a history together and have developed a high level of respect for each other.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Teddy Bridgewater because I think he’s a winner in this League,” Campbell said in 2021. “Man, he’ll hurt you in play-action pass. He’s going to be smart with the football. Even (with) what happened last week, they can possess the ball. We’ve got our hands full defensively.”

Of note: Bridgewater led a Broncos team to a 38-10 victory over the Lions that day.

While this was just a visit and a deal does not appear imminent at this time, things happen quickly in the NFL, and we will keep you updated on any further news on this topic.