Veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater just completed a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it ended up being an incredibly impactful year for him. Only appearing in four games, and attempting just 15 passes, Bidgewater’s impact came off the field, and in the form of state policy.
On Thursday, the Florida Senate passed the Teddy Bridgewater Act, a bill that would allow K-12 head coaches to use up to $15,000 of personal funds to support student athletes with food, transportation, and recovery services. This comes after Bridgewater was suspended as the head football coach of his high school, Northwestern (Miami), for admittedly paying out of pocket to help his players get rides, food, and recovery.
The bill still has to pass the Florida House of Representatives, but after unanimously passing the senate, it’s off to a great start.
On Thursday, the “Teddy Bridgewater Act” (CS/CS/SB 178) was passed unanimously in Florida, authorizing K–12 head coaches to contribute up to $15,000 per year from their own funds to benefit student-athletes.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 20, 2026
Teddy Bridgewater was suspended from his alma mater, Northwestern… pic.twitter.com/0PMdpXqS5e
Florida Senate passes the Teddy Bridgewater Act
Bridgewater initially retried from the NFL after the 2023 season, and took over head coaching duties for his high school. In his lone season in 2024, he led Miami Northwestern to a 12-2 record and a state championship. However, he resigned before year two, because he was being suspended for giving student athletes impermissible benefits.
That's how the veteran quarterback ended up back in the NFL with the Buccaneers, but he made it clear he never hid how he was helping his players, because he didn’t feel he was doing anything wrong. In fact, Bridgewater was trying to rally the community together so that they could all support these young student athletes. Everyone agreed that Bridgewater was right, and the rules were wrong; a coach shouldn’t have to watch his young student athletes go hungry or without resources, especially if they have the means to help.
Once all the details of Bridgewater’s situation came out, he gained a ton of support from the sports world and beyond, and that support has turned into what could be a tangible change. If the Bill is ultimately passed and signed into law, Bridgewater’s name will forever be attached, and most importantly, young student athletes in Florida will be able to get the support they need.