‘Teddy Bridgewater Bill’ Passed By Florida Senate That Allows High School Coaches To Pay For Athletes Benefits

NFL journeyman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was a former high school football coach before being suspended from his coaching duties, which led him to return to the NFL.

Bridgewater was suspended by the Florida High School Athletic Association in September after providing impermissible benefits to athletes. Bridgewater coached Miami Northwestern High School in 2024 and planned on coaching them in 2025 before being suspended and joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bridgewater was also suspended by Northwestern High School in July after he revealed that he spent $700 a week on Uber rides for his players during the football season. He covered meals, clothing, recovery expenses and travel expenses.

This new bill, passed by the state legislature, would make Bridgewater’s actions legal, dubbing it the “Teddy Bridgewater Bill,” which allows coaches to use personal funds to assist players as long as it is reported.

Bridgewater spoke to the media after signing with the Buccaneers, saying, “I’m protective, and I’m a father first before anything,” and “when I decided to coach, those players became my sons. And I wanted to make sure that I just protected them in the best way that I can. I think that’s what came about.”

“Miami Northwestern’s in a tough neighborhood, and sometimes things can happen when the kids are walking home and things like that. So I was just trying to protect them and give them a ride home instead of having to take those dangerous walks.”

Bridgewater retired from the NFL in 2024 and led Northwestern to a state championship in his first and only season as head coach. Bridgewater was also named the Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year.

It is unclear whether Bridgewater will return to Northwestern or to the NFL for a 13th season.