Latest news with #TeddyBridgewater
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vikings' Trade for Sam Bradford Deemed Worst Trade in 10 Years
Vikings' Trade for Sam Bradford Deemed Worst Trade in 10 Years originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Vikings haven't had the best luck at quarterback, but a few moments have altered the course of the franchise dramatically. Advertisement Coming off a Pro Bowl and playoff berth in his second season, 2014 first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater was poised to take a great leap with the Vikings before he suffered a devastating knee injury late in training camp. The Vikings had just a few weeks to find a new starting quarterback and were rightfully scrambling, leading to what Bleacher Report deemed the franchise's worst trade of the decade. Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer alongside quarterback Sam Bradford (8) against the New Orleans J. Rebilas-Imagn Images "In panic mode, then-GM Rick Spielman traded for [Sam] Bradford. Of course, the 2010 first overall pick (by the Rams) had his own lengthy injury history—including torn ACLs in 2013 and 2014—which is why the Eagles traded up for Carson Wentz in the 2016 draft and were willing to move Bradford afterward," . Advertisement "The Vikings surrendered a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional 2018 fourth-round pick. That's a lot for an oft-injured player who clearly wasn't considered Philly's QB of the future. In return, Minnesota got 17 starts over two seasons out of Bradford," he added. Despite Bradford's late arrival, the Vikings went 5-0 to start the season before fizzling out and finishing 8-8. Bradford went 7-8, throwing for 3,877 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. However, his Vikings tenure was largely overshadowed by the emergence of Case Keenum. Bradford started just two of the first five games of the 2017 season due to a knee injury before he was lost for the season with an ACL tear, thrusting Keenum, the team's No. 3 quarterback, into the starting role. Keenum led the Vikings on a run to the NFC title game and was the orchestrator of the Minneapolis Miracle. Advertisement The Vikings eventually opted for more stability at the position, signing Kirk Cousins to the first fully guaranteed contract in NFL history. However, despite six seasons and $185 million invested in Cousins, the Vikings never returned to the NFC Championship Game. After trying to make it work with Cousins, the new regime of Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has hitched itself to J.J. McCarthy as the next long-term answer at the position. Related: Vikings Named Landing Spot for NFC North Rival Defender This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why 15-year-old Miami Northwestern QB Neimann Lawrence could be the next big thing
It didn't take Neimann Lawrence long to earn a nickname when he started playing football at Gwen Cherry Park in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami. 'When he was growing up from 3 to age 7, he was a little chunky. So they called him 'The Big Show,'' his mother, Angela, said this week as she watched her 15-year-old son take quarterback reps at Miami Northwestern High under the watchful eye of former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Advertisement 'That's when he was playing running back, defensive end and receiver.' Lawrence, now 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds, is still big for his age. He's just no longer chunky, and he doesn't have a nickname. His teammates just call him by his first name. Lawrence, though, is far from ordinary. Last year, ESPN's Underclassman Report ranked him the No. 1 player in his age group nationally, and On3 recently named him one of the top 100 players to watch in the Class of 2028. It's not a stretch to think he could become a rare five-star quarterback prospect from Florida. Lawrence already has been invited to play in the Navy All-American Game in 2028 and has three NIL deals, including one with Leaf Trading Cards, for which he autographs memorabilia. He's also signed smaller social media deals with Invisalign and Subway. A post shared by Leaf Trading Cards (@leaftradingcards) 'There's not a lot of guys here in this state that are going to be like him,' said Larry Blustein, a longtime Florida recruiting analyst. 'But here's the truth: There's not a lot of kids like him in California and Texas either. He's just a dude.' Lawrence plays for the South Florida Express 7-on-7 team, where his targets include two five-star prospects in the Class of 2026 — Chris Henry Jr. (Ohio State commitment) and Tristen Keyes (LSU commitment) — and several other blue-chip pass catchers. Class of 2028 QB Neimann Lawrence was ELITE at OT7 Week 3 🔥🔥🔥 19 TDs850 YDS93/120 (77.5 CMP%) He did all of this in only 5 games 😳 @NEIMANLAWRENCE1 — Overtime (@overtime) April 2, 2025 Lawrence picked up his first scholarship offer, from Miami, when he was 12 and has since added offers from dozens of other Power 4 programs, including Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Penn State. This summer, he's taking trips to Texas, Tennessee, Oregon and Notre Dame, and he may go back to Penn State, one of Angela's favorite schools to this point. Advertisement A commitment likely won't come until the summer before his senior year, according to Angela, though Lawrence said he is open to committing earlier if the time is right. 'Development is a big part of where I'll make my decision to go play,' Lawrence said. 'For me, I want to know how many transfer quarterbacks a school has taken in the past five years. That's an important question I like to ask just to see where a program is in that aspect. Obviously, I love to throw the ball. Offenses that push the ball downfield, those are the offenses we're definitely intrigued by.' Lawrence's father, Gary Lewis, who spent four years in the Navy, and his mother, a corrections officer, were not athletes growing up. Neither is Lawrence's older half sister, Julissa. Lawrence, though, played every sport he could, starting in preschool. He was still playing baseball — as a pitcher, catcher, first baseman and outfielder — until this season. 'I haven't given up on baseball just yet,' he said. 'I'm a dual-sport athlete who just took a little break off because of the schedule. I'll be back next year. My parents don't allow me to be a couch potato.' Lawrence has been focused on developing into a quarterback since his parents first began taking him to a private coach at 8. He left Ransom Everglades School following the 2024 season so he could face tougher competition and learn from Bridgewater. Northwestern, a perennial athletic power, won its eighth state championship last season with Bridgewater as its new coach. Leon Strawder, the Bulls quarterback, threw for 2,677 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024. Strawder will be a senior this fall, which means Lawrence will likely spend the season as a reserve and be in position to take over as a junior in 2026. 'I've never been the kind of guy to run away from competition,' Lawrence said. 'I know what I'm capable of and I know what I can do. Being in competition can make you a better player. It's definitely different (getting the second-team reps), but I think it's something that I feel can be productive for me as well because when I get to college, it's going to be the same thing. So, I see it like I'm getting mentally prepared. I've been the guy since I was 7 years old until now. Facing a little adversity is kind of what I needed.' Freshman QB Neimann Lawrence makes some UNREAL throws 😳🎯 @NEIMANLAWRENCE1 The 2028 QB is the REAL DEAL. He's got 1,300 pass YDS and 16 TDs in five games. — 305 Sports (@305Sportss) October 14, 2024 As Ransom's starter last fall, Lawrence completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,777 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions on a 6-4 team. He also ran for 100 yards and four scores. Bridgewater said Lawrence will benefit from playing against a higher level of competition the next few years. He called the young quarterback 'a sponge.' Advertisement 'He's on my hip when he's not in the huddle, and when he takes his reps, he's looking back, taking coaching,' Bridgewater said. 'When I was 15 years old, I was still playing at the park. He knocks it out of the park. I couldn't compare to him when it comes to how accurate he is right now and his arm strength. I was still trying to play wide receiver at his age.' Lawrence said he's already learned a lot from Bridgewater, such as identifying defensive fronts, and is enjoying the NFL-type system his coach runs. 'We probably have 30 formations,' Lawrence said. 'We have NFL concepts, NFL protections. I handle linemen, protections and checks. It's things that are just getting me ready for the next level.' Lawrence isn't worried about his national ranking or about how he stacks up to other players in the state. 'The stars and everything are great, but it really doesn't matter if I don't do anything with these opportunities,' he said. 'I want to have a better legacy than just being a five-star in high school.'
USA Today
06-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Vikings QB jokes about lone Pro Bowl selection
Teddy Bridgewater wasn't known for prolific stats in his two seasons as quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. He only threw for 6,150 yards and 28 touchdown passes in 29 games from 2014-15 before a catastrophic knee injury weeks before the 2016 season derailed his career. Although his stats weren't great, Bridgewater did receive a Pro Bowl nod in 2015 despite only throwing 14 touchdown passes and 3,231 yards. He helped lead the Vikings to an 11-5 record and NFC North title before the infamous Blair Walsh game, in which the kicker missed a 27-yard chip shot that would have likely beaten the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round. Still, it sounds like even Bridgewater knows that may not have been the most bonafide Pro Bowl campaign of all-time. Adrian Peterson led the league with 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns, making the quarterback's job easy. 'I tell people all the time, I joke about it, but I'm like, 'Man, I made the Pro Bowl for having the best handoff in the league,'' Bridgewater told the 'The OGs Show' recently. Although Bridgewater never started again in Minnesota following his knee injury, leaving after the 2017 season, he did bounce around the league as a capable backup and locker-room presence. The 11-year veteran came out of retirement in 2024 to play with the Detroit Lions at the end of the season. It seems that Bridgewater is very aware of his career. That humility is part of what endeared him to the fanbase and team, even if he didn't have record-breaking stats.
Miami Herald
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami Northwestern's Teddy Bridgewater is the Dade 3A-1A Football Coach of the Year
You don't see high school football coaches lead a team to a state championship and then a couple of weeks later end up in playing in an NFL playoff game. Never say never when it comes to Miami Northwestern alum Teddy Bridgewater. What a rollercoaster ride it was for the former Bulls' quarterback turned coach in his first season at the helm of his alma mater's program as Bridgewater guided Northwestern to the Class 3A state championship before returning to the Detroit Lions as their backup quarterback during this year's playoffs. For his accomplishments on the high school football field, Bridgewater is the Miami Herald's Football Coach of the Year for Classes 3A-1A. Bridgewater guided the Bulls to a 12-2 season just one season after they went 4-6 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. It was Northwestern's ninth state title overall and first since 2019. Northwestern overcame early losses to Venice and Miami Norland as well as Miami Central (before it forfeited the victory due to an ineligible player) and put together one of the most dominant playoff runs in recent memory. With Central ousted from the playoffs due to the aforementioned violation of FHSAA rules, the Bulls overwhelmed their five regional and state playoff opponents by a combined score of 262-12. The mastery culminated with a 41-0 rout of Jacksonville Raines in the state final as the Bulls shut out their final three opponents and four of their last five overall. 'This (experience) taught me patience,' Bridgewater said after the state final. 'When you're working with 14-year olds, 15, 16, 17-year olds and coming from the NFL, you have to remember, they might not get it on the first try. They might not get it on the second, third or fourth or fifth try. But if you stay patient with them and really teach them the why for everything, the rest will take care of itself.' Bridgewater, 32, celebrated his first state title with his alma mater and then decided to put on his playing cleats one more time when he rejoined the Lions during their recent playoff run just one year after stepping away from the game. Bridgewater, who has suited up for seven NFL teams including the Miami Dolphins during his playing career, even briefly appeared in the Lions' recent 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional playoffs. He completed one pass for three yards and threw a key block during Jameson Williams' 61-yard second quarter touchdown run. Bridgewater had stated his plan was always to make himself available to NFL teams during the postseason and return to coach Northwestern once the season was over. 'I'm very excited especially in year one being able to get it with this staff, I wouldn't want it to happen with anyone else,' Bridgewater said after Northwestern won the state title. 'These guys put in the hours. Sometimes, I've been kind of an (expletive) with them…excuse my language…but they accepted the challenge and we're champions now.'
New York Times
29-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Backup QB, high school coach, neighborhood hero: Teddy Bridgewater embraces all of his roles
The scar runs about 10 inches, to the left of his kneecap from his thigh to his shin. It crosses through a tattoo of intersecting signs that read 'Bunche Park' and 'Liberty City.' It's a reminder of what many would assume was the worst day of Teddy Bridgewater's life. Bridgewater was 23, emerging as the Minnesota Vikings' franchise quarterback as the 2016 season approached. He'd led the Vikings to an 11-5 record, an NFC North title and had been chosen for the Pro Bowl the previous season. Advertisement Then, during a practice two weeks before the season opener, without contact, his knee dislocated. The surgeon who reconstructed the ACL, repaired five lateral ligaments and transplanted a hamstring tendon on the side of his knee told ESPN it was a 'horribly grotesque injury' and compared it to a war wound. Could he play again? The better question at the time: Could he walk again? The injury was severe enough that amputation was a possibility. Fifteen months later, however, he took the last five snaps of a blowout victory. Now, eight-and-a-half years, six NFL teams, 37 starts and two sons later, Bridgewater is approaching the twilight of one career and the dawn of another. In December 2023, Bridgewater announced he'd retire from the NFL at the end of that season. He returned to the high school he attended, Miami Northwestern, as head football coach. A little more than a month ago, the day after Christmas, he came out of retirement and signed with the Lions. Bridgewater looks down at the scar. It doesn't bring flashbacks of pain or trauma. He feels no self-pity, doesn't dwell on opportunities lost. 'I'm thankful it happened,' he says, with doe eyes and a little boy smile. 'It made me take a step back and allowed God to build me the way he wanted to. Being injured taught me patience and gave me understanding.' Dan Campbell, who was an assistant in New Orleans when Bridgewater played there, had to have him in Detroit. 'He doesn't accept excuses or impossibilities,' Campbell said. 'For him, there's always a better way. You make the most of any opportunity. He's lived it. He's been told he'd never play again. He's been cast aside and told he wasn't good enough, yet through it all, he's still standing tall.' Scars can reveal a lot about people. The Florida Dairy Farmer's Coach of the Year held up a black jacket with leather sleeves. On the back of the coat, a yellow patch with blue letters read 'STATE CHAMPIONS.' Miami Northwestern finished 4-6 the year before Bridgewater took over. In 2024, they started 2-2, then won their last 10 games and the 3A state championship. Advertisement Bridgewater, meeting with his team in the school auditorium, needed players to determine what sizes they wanted. 'If you are a young guy and you fit into a medium jacket, you might want to get a large,' he said in front of the group. 'You are going to grow.' Their growth. It's the reason he is here. Their Liberty City neighborhood was his neighborhood — it still is. Everyone there knows who he is, as you might expect. But he knows who everyone else is. Then, and now, he orders lunch from Miracle Fry Conchfritters, the walk-up restaurant in the middle of a parking lot that passes the taste test, if not the eye. He still hangs at his grandad's place, which is not far away. Granddad is gone, but the memories live. 'It's a special place,' Bridgewater says. 'I sit on the porch with my uncles and cousins and we laugh at the same old stories. It's a place I could always go and have a good time even if you were kicked out of the house or were late on rent and got evicted.' He was always different from his three older siblings, who took paths that did not please their single mother, Rose. At the age of 8, Bridgewater learned to take a 40-minute bus ride by himself from Liberty City to Bunche Park to play football. When he was 15 and Rose was diagnosed with breast cancer, he tried to quit football to take care of her. She wouldn't let him. On the field, the thought of giving her a better life inspired him; he became the sixth-highest-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country, according to Rivals. Off of it, he mowed lawns and washed cars to contribute to bills, and moved to the bedroom closest to hers so he could help her during the night. Bridgewater never had designs on coaching. He only started to think about it during the later stages of his playing career. For him, coaching wasn't about staying connected to the game as much as staying connected to a place. Before this season, he drew interest as a backup QB from six NFL teams. He could have been making significant money — instead, he chose to spend it. Miami Northwestern pays the head football coach a $5,000 stipend, but Bridgewater agreed to give the stipend to a math teacher. He paid out of pocket to provide luxuries his players never experienced, including a cold tub, sauna and massages. He brought in barbers and a chef who cooked healthy pregame meals. Advertisement Bridgewater began the season with an old-school NFL-style training camp. For five nights, the kids stayed at the school, isolated from the temptations of their worlds. They slept in sleeping bags on the gym floor while he slept on a small cot. He paid for three squares and a snack daily for more than 70 players (at a cost of $3,500 per day). With all the together time, he learned who they were, asking about their families and homes, competing against them in 'EA Sports College Football 25' and 'Madden,' joining their dodgeball and basketball games. It wasn't all giggles, though. There were 6 a.m. lifts and demanding practices. And there were consequences. The first night, horseplay ended with hot sauce in one kid's eye. When Bridgewater was told at 2:30 a.m., he woke everyone and had them run stairs and do elbow and toe crawls on a wet field. 'Coach Teddy was not going to play,' says Keith Brown, his defensive coordinator. That was evident in their practices. There was no music. His players went 11-on-11 with pads and tackling every day through the playoffs. He expanded the coaching staff from seven to 24. 'So now, the kids who usually stand on the sideline and kick rocks, play with each other's helmets and throw water on each other are getting attention from coaches,' Bridgewater says. He installed an offense unlike any being run at a Florida high school, influenced by Bridgewater's time with NFL coaches Campbell, Ben Johnson, Sean Payton, Joe Brady, Norv Turner and others. He wanted to be more than a coach — he wanted to be an example. Bridgewater was first in and last out. He carried a notebook and pencil everywhere and made sure each player did the same. When he took over the Bulls, Bridgewater saw so much athleticism and speed on his team. But he also saw desperation and hopelessness. A good coach, he knew, could change that. Advertisement 'These players think, 'He made it out of Miami Northwestern, and so can I,'' says Brown, who played youth football with Bridgewater and left a rival high school to work on his staff. Bridgewater's coaching style, centered around encouragement, resonated with players like defensive end Deangelo Thompson Jr., who transferred to Miami Northwestern last summer shortly after losing both of his parents. 'Mentally, I was not good,' Thompson says. 'I was ready to stop playing football. Coach Teddy took me in and showed me genuine love. Those were dark times and he showed me light. He made me a part of his family and changed my life. I'll love Coach Teddy forever.' Thompson had 14 sacks last season and earned a scholarship to Syracuse. Bridgewater, who believes his athletic ability is the same as before his knee injury, played scout-team quarterback every practice. 'That helped the defense a lot because he's making throws high school quarterbacks can't make and seeing reads much faster,' Brown says. Having Bridgewater play quarterback in practice was also beneficial to Leon Strawder. It was Strawder's first year as the starting quarterback and before spring practices, 'nobody believed he could get the job done,' according to receivers coach Craig Wilkins. Bridgewater made Strawder his project, working at Bunche Park, where the football field was named Bridgewater Field in 2023. Wilkins says by the end of the season, Strawder was making reads and throws much faster. The proof was in his 41 passing touchdowns. 'It was a blessing to have Coach Teddy as my coach,' says Strawder, a junior. 'He saw something in me and wanted to bring it out.' In the Lions' playoff loss to the Commanders, Bridgewater played three snaps, completing a pass and handing off on a reverse that went for a 61-yard touchdown. He signed with Detroit with the hope of doing something no one ever has done — win a championship in high school and the NFL in the same season. Advertisement Getting knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round was disappointing, but Bridgewater, better than most, keeps perspective. He said the best part about being back with the Lions was helping young teammates. While Bridgewater was coaching, he and Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams talked on the phone frequently, reviewing their games. After Bridgewater joined the team, they sat next to one another in offensive and team meetings. 'His vibe and personality takes not just me but everybody to another level,' Williams says. 'Everyone sees how he has been in certain situations, how he's always come out of everything and always has kept his head up high.' Bridgewater doesn't need much sleep — he said two or three hours a night will do — so during offseasons, he sometimes worked out while many in the neighborhood were still hanging out. When Maurice Alexander was a teenager, he was willing to catch Bridgewater's 4 a.m. passes at Bunche Park. In 2023, Alexander and Bridgewater were teammates on the Lions. After Alexander was cut at the end of training camp last August, Bridgewater invited him back to Bunche Park so Alexander could be ready for his next opportunity. The Lions called him back in November. Alexander, like Williams, considers Bridgewater a big brother. 'He helped me in every way possible, with advice, emotionally, physically and financially,' Alexander says. 'He's someone I look up to and love dearly. He's just a good soul to be around, and he rubs off on everybody.' The Lions designated Bridgewater a backup quarterback, but really, he was a life coach. Some of his Lions teammates called him 'Coach Teddy,' just like his players at Miami Northwestern. His locker wasn't with the other quarterbacks' — it was with the defensive backs. After one game, he told cornerback Amik Robertson his presnap stance was inviting the quarterback to attack him with a fade route. Bridgewater suggested an alteration that would limit a quarterback's options. Advertisement Bridgewater, playing quarterback on the scout team, helped the defense as much as he helped the offense. 'He tears up the defense and makes sure it's getting better,' Williams says. 'He's not tripping about throwing 300 yards in a game. He focused on winning.' That includes at the locker room card table. As he played games with the Bulls, he played games with the Lions — usually Tonk. And he raised the level of competition. Bridgewater the coach and Bridgewater the quarterback aren't very different. 'Teddy is the type of person who uplifts everyone around him,' Campbell says. 'He elevates the human being, player and coach in all of us.' 'I was placed here to serve,' he says. 'Serve God, but also be a humble servant to others. I have a giving spirit and always want to pour into people.' Bridgewater's time with the Lions is over — for now. He plans to coach Miami Northwestern in the fall. But he says he will not announce his retirement from the NFL, as he did a year ago. He's keeping open the possibility of playing again. Bridgewater loves to dance. He was known for busting moves in locker rooms after big wins. Before he became Miami Northwestern's coach, he attended one of their games and joined a routine with the cheerleaders. 'When you dance and smile, you give off vibrations and energy and can brighten someone's day,' he says. 'That's just me.' His mother, now 62 and healthy, always gave him hope. He wants to pass it on. 'There's so much negativity, sadness, depression, so many things that keep a person down,' said Bridgewater, who has 'Neighborhood Hope Dealer' in his Instagram bio. 'So for me, it's just like, how can we bring a breath of fresh air to people I encounter on a daily basis?' Since he became a father to Theo, 3, and Ace, 1, Bridgewater says he hasn't had a bad day. It could be argued that he's never had one. Some players who have had his playing career would be bitter. Advertisement 'You start out with these aspirations,' he says. 'Like, I want to be the best ever. I want to go to the Hall of Fame. I want to win Super Bowls. Then you go from having those aspirations to asking, How can I make an impact that's everlasting? I've had a great impact on my teammates, different organizations and different cities that I've played in. That's all I could ask for.' After the Bulls beat Raines High School 41-0 for the state championship, they arrived back at their school at about 12:30 a.m. For the next couple of hours, players, fans, parents and alumni — thousands — partied on 71st Street. As the deejay's turntables spun and the thumping bass was felt as much as it was heard, Bridgewater climbed a pillar about eight feet high. Still sticky from being doused with Gatorade, he stood on the small platform and looked out at the jubilant crowd. The song '25' by Rod Wave played and Bridgewater led them in a dance from TikTok. He danced like it was his last. Knowing him, though, he'll be dancing again soon. (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photo: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
