Bucs To Host QB Teddy Bridgewater For Visit

With Baker Mayfield missing two practices because of a contusion on his throwing hand and Michael Pratt being out for all of training camp, the Bucs were down to just Kyle Trask and Conner Bazelak as capable passers in practice.

Bridgewater played in the NFL last season as a backup for the Detroit Lions and even got into their second round playoff game last season when they lost to the Commanders. The veteran quarterback had moved on in his career to coaching high school football where he took over for Miami Northwestern in 2023 and won a Class 3A state title.

There was some controversy this offseason with Bridgewater as he was suspended for the season for providing impermissible benefits to players that included Uber rides, medical recovery services and meals that were all paid out of Bridgewater’s own pocket. Many were rightfully angry at the committee for suspending Bridgewater as he was just trying to a good thing and provide players with things that they couldn’t afford themselves.

Several people around the league spoke out about this, and even inside linebacker Lavonte David was asked about it during training camp. Bridgewater played for the Vikings, Saints, Panthers, Broncos, Dolphins and Lions in his career as a starter and a backup.

Teddy Bridgewater Has Several Ties To The Bucs

The Bucs certainly need another quarterback in camp, and Bridgewater makes a lot of sense due to his availability and connections to players and coaches. Being from the Miami area, Bridgewater and Lavonte David know each other and there are other Miami area players on the Bucs including Calijah Kancey and Anthony Walker Jr.

Bridgewater played his college football at Lousiville where his head coach was Bucs’ current defensive line coach, Charlie Strong. Together, they went 12-1 during the 2012 season and defeated the Florida Gators to win the Sugar Bowl.

When Bridgewater was with the Dolphins, current Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard was a quality control coach with the Dolphins, so there are more connections than one would think with Bridgewater arriving in Tampa.

Because Bridgewater is in town, it puts Michael Pratt’s status on the Bucs in jeopardy. Pratt has a back injury and his return is unknown at the moment.

Could Bridgewater push Kyle Trask for the backup role? It would be difficult for him to come off the street and immediately compete for a role that Trask has taken and has all the familiarity with the players and the offensive system.

What it does is give the Bucs another veteran in the room that is trustworthy if he does have to get involved in a game and run the offense. The Bucs have their first preseason game coming up this Saturday against the Titans and we’ll see if Bridgewater is signed if he’ll be able to get in and start throwing for Tampa Bay.