Teddy Bridgewater Suspended From High School Coaching For Spending Nearly $100K On His Players

The old and cynical saying is that, "No good deed goes unpunished," and former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is finding that out now.

Bridgewater, by his own admission, has been suspended from his job as the head football coach at Northwestern High School in Miami – apparently for providing "impermissible benefits" to his players.

This is not in question. Bridgewater has admitted as much in multiple Facebook posts.

Teddy Bridgewater post on Facebook (Screenshot)

(Facebook)

Bridgewater Says School Suspended Him

"The suspension came from MNW and it's impossible to suspend someone who doesn't work for you," Bridgewater wrote. "So if I'm suspended from MNW, I'm free to go to another school of my choice, but I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

"…If it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem."

It is unclear to what extent Bridgewater's suspension will lead to penalties for him in the future and his football team.

The Bulls won the Florida 3A state championship in 2024 with a 12-2 record in Bridgewater's first season. 

Miami Northwestern's King Davis scores a touchdown, helping the Bulls defeat Raines in the Class 3A state championship at Florida International University on Dec. 14, 2024.

Northwestern High May Be Penalized

OutKick contacted the Florida High School Activities Association to find out if an investigation of Bridgewater and Northwestern is underway. OutKick asked for confirmation that Northwestern had self-reported, as Bridgerwater claimed.

And OutKick asked if the Bulls may be subject to forfeiture of their victories and state title.

The FHSAA had not responded by publication time. Regardless, this seems like a tough one for everyone.

That's because Bridgewater, who spent 10 seasons in the NFL including a short stint with the Detroit Lions late last season, is authoring good deeds. But it's turning out bad.

Bridgewater spelled out how much he dug into his own pocket to help his players last season and the cost was somewhere between $86,500 and $100,000.

That's money Bridgewater put into the program to directly help his players.

"I cover all the expenses," Bridgewater wrote in an email to boosters and supporters requesting financial help.

Teddy Bridgewater #10 of the Detroit Lions runs off the field during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Ford Field on Dec. 16, 2023. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

Bridgewater Expenditures Get Him In Trouble

According to Bridgewater:

• He spent $14,000 to conduct a training camp lasting four nights. That included three meals a day from "black-owned restaurants," Bridgewater wrote.
• He spent $9,500 on team-themed clothing so "they can look like a team," Bridgewater wrote.
• He spent $1,400 per week on so-called "recovery trucks" equipped to help players recover from injuries and fatigue.
• Bridgewater said it cost him $2,200 to provide the team a pre-game meal every week.
• And Bridgewater added that he spent $700 weekly on Uber fares to help players get around.

Northwestern is practically an all-black school, and the Bulls' roster is made up predominantly of black players from the inner city.

So the former NFL starting quarterback is digging into his own funds to provide services to his players that wouldn't otherwise be available to them. And that makes Bridgewater a hero in the community.

Not that he needed that.

Former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater coaches his high school football team, Miami Northwestern, as they take on Raines during the Class 3A state championship game.

Bridgewater A Community Hero

He was already a hero for leading the Bulls to championships as a player years ago. And he was already a hero for giving back to the community by returning to his Liberty City neighborhood often and also taking on the coaching job at the school.

None of this, of course, is taken into account, because need is not a defense for providing improper benefits. 

The players at Jackson High School or almost any other public school in Miami-Dade County also have needs that may go unmet because their coach didn't make approximately $25 million in the decade he played in the NFL.

So this is a rough one. Bridgewater paid a price to be the coach last year and is paying another price for his actions now.