Bridgewater, 32, is coming out of retirement for the second time to join Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. Licht confirmed to reporters that Bridgewater was in Tampa for a visit, and although no deal is official yet, the plan is to sign him.
“We had some discussions about it, that it’d be a nice addition to the quarterback room, good for Baker. Experienced guy, obviously a smart, hell of high school coach – hell of a coach in general. But just a good addition just to have that wealth of experience there.”
Licht did not specify whether Bridgewater would serve as the backup over Trask, but he did mention that the competition is still open.
Bridgewater has had a successful NFL career playing for teams like the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins.
In 2023, Bridgewater announced his retirement and officially retired in early 2024. However, he returned to the field in December to join the Detroit Lions in their playoff run. As a starter, Bridgewater has a record of 33-32 and has accumulated 15,120 yards, 75 touchdowns, 47 interceptions, with a passer rating of 90.5.
Last month, Bridgewater was suspended from coaching his former high school team due to providing financial benefits to players. Despite the suspension, Bridgewater expressed his commitment to coaching in a Facebook post, stating, “I’m not going anywhere.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
