Teddy Bridgewater announced Tuesday he would wear the number 50 for the Detroit Lions in NFL preseason. Since the NFL loosened its rules about which positions can wear certain ranges of numbers, we've seen a lot of unusual number changes. However' Bridgewater's number change is the strangest we've seen yet from a quarterback.
“I’ma wear 50, man. It’s preseason, you can wear whatever you want,” Bridgewater said. “We’ll figure something out in the regular season.”
The NFL still requires quarterbacks to wear numbers between zero and 19. However, on the Lions, all of those numbers are either retired or taken by others on the roster. That's largely because players in other positions on the Lions have opted to choose low numbers.
As NFL preseason comes to a close, however, the Lions will have to cut a certain number of players, and that will certainly free up a number between zero and 19 for Bridgewater to wear.
Bridgewater signed with the Lions on August 7 to backup Jared Goff. Adrian Martinez and Nate Sudfeld are the other quarterbacks on the roster. The Lions will have to cut one of Bridgewater, Martinez or Sudfeld before the regular season starts.
Detroit is Bridgewater's seventh NFL team. He was drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft by the Minnesota Vikings and has since played for the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins in varying roles between full-time starter and backup.
In 2015, Bridgewater led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and made the Pro Bowl. His best statistical season came with the Panthers in 2020, when Bridgewater threw for over 3700 yards and 15 touchdowns, adding another 280 yards and five scores on the ground.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell will appreciate Bridgewater's veteran presence. This is still a young locker room, but the Lions are building momentum towards something special.
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