Lions QB Teddy Bridgewater stepping away; team planning to add veteran backup

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Allen Park — Teddy Bridgewater’s third stint with the Detroit Lions has come to a premature end after the veteran quarterback decided to step away from the team this weekend.

Coach Dan Campbell fought back emotions when sharing Bridgewater’s decision Sunday afternoon.

“I've known Teddy a long time and, man, the human being is unbelievable,” Campbell said. “Certainly the player, everything that he's about, the type of teammate he is, the way he prepares, always played the game up here and had a huge heart. He's going to be missed.

“I'll never forget 2019, when Drew Brees got injured,” Campbell continued. “We'd just gone out to the Rams, got beat out there and Drew (Brees) got his thumb (injured) and we lost him for five weeks. Teddy stepped in and we won five in a row, man. And, you know, that was Teddy. Just his time being with us meant a lot, and it meant a lot to our guys.”

Campbell said Bridgewater’s decision came down to his confidence to do the job to his personal standard if called upon.

“His biggest worry was letting us down,” Campbell said. “That's the type of guy he is.”

Bridgewater had missed the previous two practices while contemplating his future. In his stead, undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer shouldered a bigger load.

Campbell said they’ve like the way Altmyer has been developing, but he’s still a long way from being considered a viable backup to starter Jared Goff.

“We'll know a lot more when we hit the (preseason) games, because it doesn't feel too big to him right now,” Campbell said. “…We'll see. He's got a long way to go and he just needs a million reps.”

Goff isn’t expected to play in the team’s preseason opener this Thursday in Cincinnati, with Altmyer expected to handle much, if not all of the work.

Campbell confirmed the team is aiming to quickly add a veteran backup to the mix, as soon as Monday.

Among the names on the market are Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh Dobbs, John Wolford, Tim Boyle, Desmond Ridder, Jeff Driskel and Clayton Tune.