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A player’s NFL journey can include a plethora of twists and turns. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater knows this all too well, and he recently opened up about his path to Tampa Bay.
The 32-year-old signal caller thought he was going to sign with the Buccaneers prior to the 2020 season. But, the franchise ultimately inked former New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady.
“In 2020, you know, I thought that it was a lock…,” Bridgewater told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “But they got the G.O.A.T., Tom Brady.”
The Buccaneers won the second Super Bowl in franchise history during Brady’s first season with the team. Across his three seasons in Tampa Bay, Brady totaled 108 touchdowns and 14,643 passing yards.
Bridgewater signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Carolina Panthers that offseason, and has made stops with the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and Detroit Lions since then.
He recently inked a one-year deal to join Tampa Bay, and Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said that the team’s interest in Bridgewater dates back to the 2014 NFL draft.
While the Louisville product was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round, the Buccaneers were certainly interested.
“We had him in here in 2014 before the draft, there might’ve been a situation where we would’ve taken him if he had fell a little further,” Licht told the New York Post.
Bridgewater will join a relatively young quarterback room that includes Kyle Trask, Michael Pratt, Connor
Bazelak, and starter Baker Mayfield.
“He brings us a wealth of experience at that spot,” Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told ESPN. “Obviously, we don't have it. Kyle [Trask] has been here a few years, but he hasn't really played. Obviously, we have the new guy (Connor Bazelak) just coming in. So, we need the extra arm. We think we need some experience in that room – the more experience, the better.”
It is not known how long Bridgewater will remain with the team, but the veteran will try to make his presence felt during training camp.
