Teddy Bridgewater makes a case for a roster spot that will be impossible for the Bucs' brass to ignore in win over Steelers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued their winning ways in this 2025 preseason, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14 on a 48-yard field goal as the clock hit all zeroes.

But the real action for Tampa Bay took place hours earlier, when the starters were on the field. Starters being a relatively loose term, as a number of true first stringers didn't play, including Baker Mayfield as expected.

That meant recently acquired Teddy Bridgewater saw his first action of the preseason, and he made the most of it in compelling fashion. He engineered back-to-back touchdown drives in the first quarter to push the Buccaneers to a 14-0 lead, and the offense looked good with him under center.

Bridgewater finished 6/11 for 85 yards and 2 touchdowns in three drives. He ended the Bucs' first touchdown drive with a pass into the end zone to RB Bucky Irving, who pulled it in over his shoulder in stride for the game's first points.

Teddy Bridgewater with a DIME to Bucky Irving 🎯

📺: #TBvsPIT on WFLA pic.twitter.com/dOFWaWIDrZ

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 16, 2025

On the following drive, Bridgewater looked the way of rookie Emeka Egbuka and lobbed a ball in the air, which the Ohio State product ran to and caught just inside the back corner for a second touchdown.

And now the first TD for @EgbukaEmeka 🙌

📺: #TBvsPIT on WFLA pic.twitter.com/SUYZTnFowO

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 16, 2025

Bridgewater showed a level of touch with the football and comfort with OC Josh Grizzard's gameplan that was notable, particularly in how little time he's been with the team and that he has been coaching high school football for the last couple of years (absent a brief return late last season with Detroit). Honestly, it's the best a Bucs quarterback has moved the offense two games into the preseason.

Conversely, Kyle Trask struggled on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, going 3/10 for 19 yards. It's worth noting that he wasn't running with the ones and twos this time around like he was last week. He was in with plenty of third stringers, so the level of play around him wasn't nearly as good.

But it's impossible for Jason Licht and Todd Bowles to ignore how effective Bridgewater was tonight, and his years of experience compared to 11 career pass attempts for Trask should put the former in solid position to claim the QB2 role behind Baker Mayfield.

That is, provided he doesn't fall flat next Saturday night in the preseason finale against Buffalo. But for the time being, it sure seems like Trask needs to show something big next weekend. Because Bridgewater definitely showed the coaches tonight that he can still play the game at a level of a capable backup in this league.