The Detroit Lions have been one of the best teams in the NFL during the 2024 regular season. Detroit is 13-2 heading into Week 17 and has a legitimate chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture on Sunday. The Lions will do whatever it takes to make their first Super Bowl in franchise history this season. That has attracted the services of a veteran quarterback.
Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who signed with the team on Thursday, spoke about how his admiration for Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn made it easy to come back to Detroit.
“A lot of people don’t understand the relationship that Dan and I have, and that [Aaron Glenn] and I have” Bridgewater told reporters on Saturday per the team’s social media. “It goes back to our New Orleans days and it goes beyond football. You know I watch those two, the way Dan prepared the tight end room in New Orleans. The way AG was with the defensive backs.”
Bridgewater credits the journeys of former Saints players who he saw learn a lot from Campbell and Glenn’s tutelage.
“And I watched the way those guys grew in their system. From tights ends and defensive backs,” Bridgewater continued. “We’re talking Marcus Williams who is in Baltimore, Vonn Bell, Marshon Lattimore, those guys. Then just following those guys’ journeys and knowing the impact that AG and Dan had on those guys.”
Bridgewater even views both coaches are role models.
“It’s like man, these are two men that I can look up to,” Bridgewater concluded. “I’m 32 years old, I’m not too old to look up to someone. What two better guys to idolize.”
Lions’ backup QB Hendon Hooker reacts to Teddy Bridgewater signing
The Teddy Bridgewater signing is not necessary a good thing for Lions backup QB Hendon Hooker.
But don’t tell him that. Hooker gave a glowing review of Bridgewater during a recent interview. He is clearly glad to have Bridgewater back on the team.
“I figured Teddy was going to come back here this season,” Hooker said on Friday, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I didn’t know when. I knew when his season was over he was going to come back. I mean, we’ve been talking about it since the summer.”
Bridgewater is not only a trusty veteran who can capably backup Jared Goff. He is also like having another coach on the sideline and in the locker room.
“Definitely miss my guy just being in the room and leaning on him whenever Jared is doing his own thing,” Hooker said. “Still asking questions. He’s still my mentor at the end of the day, so any questions I have about life or this game of football or being a pro always seem to lean on Teddy.”
Bridgewater won a championship coaching his high school team earlier this year. Perhaps he will also win a Super Bowl with the Lions.
Next up for the Lions is a Week 17 matchup against the 49ers on Monday Night Football.
