Teddy Riley is ridin' hard for Chris Brown -- telling TMZ there’s nothing shady about Breezy's comment on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance and, in his book, he did nothing wrong!

We caught up with Teddy in NYC Tuesday, and he straight-up co-signed Chris’ IG post -- "I think it’s safe to say … they need me!" -- agreeing Brown absolutely belonged on that iconic stage.

Watch the clip, 'cause Teddy makes one thing clear: he’s not anti-BB. He gives the performance its flowers. But -- and it’s a big but -- he says when it comes to events like the Super Bowl, ratings matter.

Teddy points out that Chris and Taylor Swift just wrapped two of the biggest tours on the planet ... basically saying they know how to stand on business and could easily rock a stadium that size.

Bottom line? Teddy’s saying star power still rules the halftime game -- and now it’s just a waiting game to see who gets the nod next year!