He’s nonetheless younger sufficient to be a quarterback within the NFL, however due to a choice to retire 11 months in the past, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is now a champion highschool soccer coach.
Bridgewater’s alma mater, Miami Northwestern Senior Excessive College, gained the category 3A title over the weekend, stomping William Raines Senior Excessive, 41-0. Raines, too, was beforehand undefeated.
Earlier than Bridgewater took over this system this season, Northwestern showcased a 4-6 file in 2023. The ex-Viking essentially turned this system round in a single 12 months to the tune of a state title.
Bridgewater caught onlookers off guard a few month in the past when he teased an NFL comeback. He has the NFL itch. He tweeted in November, “So many QB jobs obtainable for me after we make this state title run. I can’t wait to return again to the NFL 🙏🏾💯.”
The submit stunned many as a result of most believed he was gone for good. He appears to like his new association because the skipper of his highschool workforce, however on the age of 32, a comeback is greater than attainable, particularly if a distinguished quarterback fell injured within the NFL someday within the subsequent few weeks.
The Detroit Lions, for instance, Bridgewater’s most up-to-date NFL employer, may make sense if QB1 Jared Goff encountered an damage.
Bridgewater didn’t throw a single cross in 2023 earlier than retiring in January, filling QB2 responsibility for Goff in Detroit. However the Lions would’ve been in secure arms had Bridgewater been known as upon, categorised as one of many NFL’s prime QB2s. All instructed in Bridgewater’s beginning profession, groups had been 33-32 (.507) on his watch.
The Miami Dolphins had been Bridgewater’s earlier employer earlier than Detroit, as he served as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup in 2022. This was Bridgewater’s profession resume:
Minnesota selected Bridgewater in Spherical 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft because the then-long-term plan for the quarterback of the longer term. Bridgewater took over throughout his maiden voyage season and instantly seemed the half. A season later, mixed with Mike Zimmer’s flourishing protection, Minnesota gained the NFC North in 2015, and life was good. However the summer season of 2016 was a unique story. Bridgewater suffered a horrifying knee damage proper earlier than the beginning of the common season, then-GM Rick Spielman traded a 1st-Spherical decide to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford, and Bridgewater’s profession was eternally modified. So was Vikings historical past.
Bridgewater was arguably in prime kind throughout a few spots in his profession. First, in 2015, he earned Professional Bowl honors in simply his second marketing campaign, guiding the Vikings to that 2015 playoff look that was finally marred by a missed 27-yard game-winning subject objective towards the Seattle Seahawks. When he landed with the Saints, Drew Brees was harm for a number of video games in 2019 — and the Saints had been undefeated to the tune of 5-0 with Bridgewater in cost. That was the second peak of his ten-season profession.
Within the postseason, with Bridgewater’s profession full — assuming he doesn’t come out of retirement — his solely playoff begin occurred within the aforementioned 2015 season when Minnesota misplaced to the Seattle Seahawks.
However now, Bridgewater owns the irreversible title of highschool state champion as a head coach.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the College of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his every day YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The present options visitors, evaluation, and opinion on all issues associated to the purple workforce, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates again to 1996. Listed responsible pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doorways (the band). He follows the NBA as intently because the NFL. All statistics supplied by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual data supplied by OverTheCap.com.
Teddy Bridgewater Does the Factor
