Why Lions Veteran QB Could Be Surprise Cut
As the Detroit Lions ramp up to training camp, there is one battle that has little fanfare behind it. The backup quarterback, in a way, is one of the most coveted jobs in a fans view of sports. The role is to sit on the bench, hold a clipboard, and make a contract that lies in the seven-figure range.
Entering 2026, the Lions have a backup quarterback battle that could be heating up and leading to some eyebrow-raising cuts when rosters trim down.
For the third time in his career, Teddy Bridgewater has reached a deal with the Detroit Lions to back up Jared Goff. Bridgewater enters a room that lost Kyle Allen to free agency and the Buffalo Bills.
Allen replaced Hendon Hooker, a project third-round pick that was derailed by injuries and a stagnated progression that led to the Lions keeping Bridgewater as a backup option over Hooker in the first place.
This season, Bridgewater is in a battle with another young player, undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer from Illinois.
Altmyer has quietly impressed after surprisingly not hearing his name called in April. The three-year starter was a player that the Lions had a draftable grade on, as revealed by Brad Holmes on Sirius XM shortly after the draft.
The rookie enters the room looking to soak up information from two proven veterans in Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater, but the latter might find his seat heating up.
Bridgewater has knowledge of the Lions' system and chemistry with the receivers, but it is a different group than who he practiced with during the end of the 2024 season. In fact, only Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and then practice squad member Tom Kennedy remain players that worked with Bridgewater in Motown.
He reunited with Drew Petzing, as the two overlapped in Minnesota when Bridgewater first entered the league. Additionally, Mark Brunell remains coaching quarterbacks with Detroit.
However, Bridgewater still has had an "on again, off again" relationship with the NFL, taking time during the 2024 season to coach before joining Detroit, then resigning from his coaching in early August last year to join Tampa Bay.
While Bridgewater holds the edge over Altmyer in experience, it is also worth noting that Bridgewater's 15 thrown passes in 2025 were his first in-game throws since 2022. Altmyer has yet to throw a pass, but the journeyman backup lacks in the recent experience department.
Another main factor that could work in Altmyer's favor is his ability to avoid mistakes. One of the top responsibilities in any NFL backup quarterback is the ability to manage a game and, in a way, buy time for the starter to see medical staff and return to the field.
While Bridgewater has the potential, as shown in his time as a starter, he has also thrown 22 interceptions in his last 38 played games, for a 2.2% interception rate. Meanwhile, Altmyer stayed below 2.0% in each of his last two seasons with Illinois.
All of this came while Altmyer guided the Illini to their first set of back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time in nearly 40 years.
While it would be a shock to see Altmyer dethrone Bridgewater in his first training camp action, it is a possible outcome depending on how the staff compares the two along with the view on Altmyer's development. A more likely scenario in Motown could be that the Lions maintain three quarterbacks for the 53-man, which they did when trying to develop Hendon Hooker.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Why Lions Veteran QB Could Be Surprise Cut.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 5:35 AM.