UDFA quarterback Luke Altmyer is officially "victim" to the social media hype machine. Victim is in quotations because, well, it does seem like his tape backs up what we've already heard from the Detroit Lions' coaching staff about the young signal caller. So, instead of "victim" to the hype, perhaps it's better to say that he's leaning into it entirely.
Altmyer landed with Detroit almost immediately following the 2026 NFL draft, following the teams' signing of Teddy Bridgewater in free agency. Both are competing to backup Jared Goff, who is the obvious QB1, but whoever wins out the QB2 competition should be interesting as Goff is not getting any younger.
That, coupled with another new-look offensive line and scheme in 2026, adds even more importance to the backup QB room. So, it's great to not just see that Altmyer is flying in practices, but to hear it, too.
A dot 🎯 pic.twitter.com/k7yd3Gnctj
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 17, 2026
Lions' QB2 competition might be closing in on Altmyer over Bridgewater
Detroit posted the above highlight of an Altmyer dot to Tom Kennedy, followed by a clip of an interception thrown by Bridgewater into the hands of rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder. Rolder is having a great camp, but Bridgewater getting a lowlight posted right at the same time as an Altmyer highlight feels like a decent smackdown of his stock at QB2.
Coaches have also been speaking highly of Altmyer so far. Campbell recently told reporters about Altmyer that he's appreciated his confidence and ability to carry his learning of the playbook onto the field for drills.
“Feel like he’s getting a little bit better every day, talk about the processing speed of the quarterback. He’s got a lot on his plate, but he knows what the calls are, he knows where guys are supposed to be, the shifts, the motions."
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Bridgewater is headed into the 2026 season as a 33-year old veteran with very limited playing time over the last few years. He played in 2023 in place of Tua Tagovailoa with the Miami Dolphins, but was also too hurt to play consistent snaps with the team. Then, he suited up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025, but wasn't really played then, either. He had 15 total attemps for them.
He's obviously liked within the front office, and he is a great veteran voice to have in a locker room that's getting younger by the year.
However, for Detroit's long-term outlook, it would make a ton more sense to invest as much as possible into Altmyer if he's already shown flashes like the clip above in camp. While some think another quarterback could be better suited for the Lions' room, such as Brendan Sorsby (since the Lions seem so chill about gambling), it feels more likely that they ride with Altmyer until he shows he's not a viable option.
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