Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s surprise NFL comeback after working as a high school coach this season cost a former Alabama prep star his roster spot with the Detroit Lions.

The Lions had Bridgewater on the practice field on Thursday after he spent the season as the head coach at Miami Northwestern. He guided the Bulls to the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A championship.

To make room for Bridgewater on its 53-player active roster, Detroit waived linebacker Kwon Alexander, a former Oxford High School standout.

“I’ve been in contact with Teddy for a while,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It was something that was always potentially a possibility. We all know what Teddy’s been doing down there and giving back to his community. They won a championship down there, so his debut at coaching worked out pretty dang good.

“But to be able to get somebody back here that’s got experience – he’s staying in shape, he’s been throwing, just get him worked back in here a little bit — it just brings a level of professionalism, veteran presence, somebody that’s great for our team. He’s great for the position.”

Bridgewater joins starter Jared Goff and backup Hendon Hooker as the quarterbacks on Detroit’s active roster. Bridgewater took three snaps in his 10th NFL season as Goff’s backup in 2023.

At 13-2 with two games left in the regular season, the Lions have secured a spot in the NFC playoffs. They’re tied for the best record in the NFC with the Minnesota Vikings, their opponent on the final weekend of the regular season. Detroit plays the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game.

Alexander joined the Lions on Nov. 29, when Detroit signed him off the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. Alexander started his first two games with the Lions and played 29 defensive snaps before watching as a game-day inactive in Detroit’s most recent contest.

With Denver, Alexander had played in three games as a practice-squad elevation, playing 65 defensive snaps in his 10th NFL season.

After recording 144 tackles and 17 sacks for Oxford High School as a junior, Alexander was a finalist for the High School Butkus Award, an ESPN All-American team member and an Under Armour All-American Game participant in 2011, even though he missed most of the season with a knee injury.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Alexander from LSU in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. During his four seasons with the Bucs, Alexander led the NFL with 108 solo tackles in 2016 and made the Pro Bowl in 2017.

Over the past six seasons, Alexander has played in 63 regular-season games for six NFL teams.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.