The Detroit Lions conceded a tough defeat this weekend to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, terminating their historic playoff run.
The Lions had a huge 24-7 lead going into halftime but were unable to maintain their first half performance in the second half together with questionable calls by head coach Dan Campbell to go for it on fourth down.
After the game was over, a report came out that the Lions’ veteran quarterback is expected to retire this year, shocking many in the NFL world.
NFL journeyman and Detroit quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is expected to have played his final game as an NFL quarterback since being drafted into the league in 2014.
Bridgewater has played for several organizations and was the backup to Jared Goff in 2023. Aside from the veteran quarterback expressing earlier that 2023 would be his final season, a photo came out on social media of Bridgewater and his head coach walking off of the field together.
The veteran revealed what made him decide on his retirement in 2023, and said that he is now content with his career in the league.
“I was young and I was trapped in this lifestyle thinking that I was a football player 24-7, and when I got hurt I realized that I’m only a football player for three hours on a Sunday afternoon.
“Outside of that, I’m Theodore Bridgewater, so it just put everything into perspective and it really helped me not even have to think about not being a starter (anymore).
“It’s like, ‘Man, I still got purpose.’ And my purpose is bigger than the game of football. football is just a platform that I have.”
Bridgewater has played for six different franchises throughout his career, including the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins before landing in Detroit.
He has amounted to 15,120 passing yards and 75 total touchdowns throughout his career and also has three seasons under his belt with over 3,000 yards passing.
While his career was plagued by gruesome injuries, he will be remembered by many NFL fans as a decent quarterback and a great person.
While Bridgewater will not be ending his career on a high note or with a Super Bowl, he still had a career that he is proud and content with, which is all that matters at the end of the day.
