Tua Tagovailoa will have a new backup in 2022. Teddy Bridgewater is signing with the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This will be the former first-round pick’s sixth team, and it will mark a return to QB2 duty for the recent Broncos and Panthers starter. Bridgewater rebuilt his value as Drew Brees‘ backup in New Orleans and landed a big deal from the Panthers in 2020, but after Carolina and Denver moved on from him after one season apiece, the Louisville product will provide Miami with one of the NFL’s best backup options.
Formerly with the Vikings and Jets (offseason only) as well, Bridgewater is entering his age-30 season. The eight-year veteran held off Drew Lock to be Denver’s starter last season and had the team at 7-6 before suffering his second concussion of the year. The Broncos shut him down after that Week 15 setback, and the team lost to the Bengals after Bridgewater went down and proceeded to drop its final three games with Lock at the controls.
Tagovailoa backup duty carries significant responsibility, with Tua having entered the NFL after a major hip injury. He then suffered another injury early in the 2021 season, moving Jacoby Brissett into Miami’s lineup. Brissett will now seek work elsewhere.
Bridgewater finished with an 18-7 TD-INT ratio with the Broncos, doing so despite missing three full games and another half after suffering his initial 2021 concussion against the Ravens. While known as one of the league’s more conservative passers, Bridgewater checks off a key box for the Dolphins. He has made 63 starts in his career, having battled back from a brutal knee injury that ended his first run as a starter back in 2016.