If you have strong quarterback play, chances are you’re going to do well in a given NFL season. Some will now argue you don’t need elite quarterback play after the last two Super Bowls were won by Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) and Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks). However, competent quarterback play is still much-needed.
The Lions certainly have top-notch quarterback play in Jared Goff. However, what if the Lions get bad injury luck and he goes down? Do the Lions still have a chance with Teddy Bridgewater or Luke Altmyer?
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan took a look as he ranked NFL contenders by their backup quarterback situations.
Sullivan ranked the 16 teams with odds of +2500 or shorter at DraftKings to win Super Bowl LXI. Of those 16 teams, the Lions ranked 15th on this list.
Not that long ago, Teddy Bridgewater was coaching high school football. After resigning from his post at Miami Northwestern Senior High School in August of last year, he signed on to be a backup for the Buccaneers and did see some action in Week 12 last season against the Rams. There, Bridgewater completed 53.3% of his throws for just 62 yards. The last time he started a game came back in Week 17 of the 2022 season as a member of the Dolphins.
Now, Bridgewater is back in Detroit (where he served as a backup from 2023 to 2024) with the Lions and will likely serve as the top option behind Jared Goff, with undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer also in the fold. While Bridgewater has 65 regular-season starts under his belt and is above .500 (33-32) over that run, it’s fair to wonder how much he truly has in the tank as he’ll turn 34 during the 2026 season. – Tyler Sullivan, CBS
Bridgewater played in place of the injured Baker Mayfield last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but completed just 8-of-15 passes for 62 yards against the Los Angeles Rams.
Altmyer is a 6-foot-1 rookie out of Illinois who brings good arm strength. The 23-year-old threw for over 3,000 yards last season in helping Illinois have one of their better seasons in recent memory. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2024 and 2025. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler says he could carve out a role and career similar to Taylor Heinicke.
For reference, the top team on this list is the San Francisco 49ers, namely for Mac Jones, who played well while Brock Purdy was injured last season. Then it’s the Houston Texans (Davis Mills) followed by the Cincinnati Bengals (Joe Flacco).
So if you ask CBS, the Lions might be in some trouble if something happens to Goff.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: CBS ranks Lions’ backup QB situation against fellow Super Bowl contenders
Reporting by Billy Riccette, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Billy Riccette, Lions Wire | USA TODAY Network
