Teddy Bridgewater has worn plenty of uniforms in his NFL journey, but Saturday night he looked right at home in a Buccaneers jersey. Less than two weeks after signing with Tampa Bay, the veteran quarterback delivered two first-quarter touchdown passes to help the Buccaneers edge the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14 in Week 2 of the preseason.
Bridgewater, 32, joined the Buccaneers last week under unusual circumstances — stepping away from his high school coaching job in Miami after self-reporting he had provided financial benefits to his players. With little practice time, he stepped onto the field Saturday and showed the kind of poise that once made him a Pro Bowl quarterback.
In three series of work, Bridgewater completed 6 of 11 passes for 85 yards, tossing a 15-yard strike to rookie running back Bucky Irving and later floating a 5-yard lob to first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, who made a sliding grab just inside the end zone.
While Baker Mayfield is entrenched as the starter, Bridgewater’s performance gives head coach Todd Bowles something to consider in the competition for the backup job with Kyle Trask. “He was sharp,” Bowles said. “You can tell he’s been around the league. He knew where to go with the football.”
Bridgewater downplayed the notion that he’s chasing the No. 2 role, but his steady hand highlighted a Buccaneers offense still sorting out its depth chart.
The game itself ended in dramatic fashion. Tampa Bay linebacker Antonio Grier returned an interception 36 yards — the Buccaneers’ sixth defensive pick in two weeks — setting up kicker Chase McLaughlin’s 42-yard game-winner as time expired. The Bucs moved to 2-0 in the preseason.
Two days removed from spirited joint practices that featured stars like Mayfield, Mike Evans, Aaron Rodgers, and T.J. Watt, the spotlight Saturday fell on rookies and role players fighting for roster spots.
Egbuka, the 19th overall pick, continued his impressive camp. He slipped behind Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols and tapped a knee in bounds before sliding across the paint for his touchdown. Third-round running back Kaleb Johnson also impressed, rushing for 50 yards on 11 carries and flashing the cutback ability that made him a star at Iowa.
Pittsburgh (1-1) had its own rookie highlights. First-round pick Derrick Harmon picked up his first sack, flattening Trask for an 11-yard loss. Wide receiver Roman Wilson, who missed all of last season with injury, looked sharp in his return, catching two passes for 72 yards — including a 42-yard bomb from Mason Rudolph and a 30-yard catch-and-run.
The Steelers were forced into an unusual adjustment when long snapper Christian Kunitz left in the first half with a chest injury. Defensive lineman Logan Lee, who last snapped in high school in tiny Orion, Illinois (population 1,714), filled in as the emergency replacement. “The muscle memory came back — kind of,” Lee joked afterward.
The Buccaneers will close out their preseason at home against the Buffalo Bills next Saturday, while the Steelers wrap things up Thursday on the road against the Carolina Panthers.
If Bridgewater continues to look this sharp, Bowles may have a tough decision to make about Tampa Bay’s quarterback depth chart before Week 1.
