ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has decided to step away from the team amid training camp and was officially placed on the reserve/retired list ahead of Sunday's practice.
Head coach Dan Campbell said he believes that this retirement could stick for Bridgewater, who had previously retired after the 2023 season only to return to the Lions the next season.
"I think he can only truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it's at for sure right now. This is where it needs to be and where he felt," Campbell said. "And his biggest worry was letting us down. That's the type of guy he is and he's not.
"That's as far as it can get. He meant a lot."
Detroit signed Bridgewater as an unrestricted free agent in March to serve as a backup for Jared Goff in what would have been his third stint with the organization.
Bridgewater, 33, was viewed as a respected leader and mentor to players in the Lions' locker room but has missed the last two practices for an undisclosed reason. He was a familiar face in Detroit as he was previously Goff's backup in 2023 then again in 2024.
Last season, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he appeared in four games and completed 8 of 15 passes for 62 yards.