Nathan Michael Sudfeld (born October 7, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Indiana and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round in the 2016 NFL draft. Sudfeld also spent four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup quarterback, seeing occasional playing time and was a part of their Super Bowl LII-winning team.

Nate Sudfeld
refer to caption
Sudfeld with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020
Personal information
Born: (1993-10-07) October 7, 1993 (age 31)
Santa Clara, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:Modesto Christian School (Salida, California)
College:Indiana (2012−2015)
Position:Quarterback
NFL draft:2016 / round: 6 / pick: 187
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Passing completions:25
Passing attempts:37
Completion percentage:67.6%
Passing yards:188
TDINT:1–1
Passer rating:77.3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Sudfeld took over as the starting quarterback at Modesto Christian School in Modesto, California, as a junior in 2010, replacing the Fresno State-bound Isaiah Burse.[1] During his time there, he threw for 3,300 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions,[2] earning the Trans Valley League Outstanding Offensive Player award,[3] second-team all-state and first-team all-district honors as a senior.[4]

Recruiting
College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Nathan Sudfeld
QB
Modesto, California Modesto Christian School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jan 26, 2012 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 63 (QB), 9 (CA QB)   Rivals: 86 (CA)  ESPN: 14 (QB), 23 (CA)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2012 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.

Sudfeld received offers from UCLA, Indiana, New Mexico State and Arizona.[5] He initially committed to Arizona, but after a coaching and system change, Sudfeld signed with Indiana.[6]

College career

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Sudfeld got experience with the Hoosiers as a true freshman, in relief duty of Cameron Coffman, after starter Tre Roberson suffered a broken leg.[7] He earned Big Ten Conference co-Freshman of the Week honours after leading a fourth-quarter comeback against Ball State.[8] In his sophomore year, he split time with Tre Roberson, earning his first start against Bowling Green.[9] He finished the season with 2,523 yards, 21 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and a 142.0 pass efficiency rating.[10]

In Sudfeld's junior year, after both Cameron Coffman and Tre Roberson transferred to Wyoming and Illinois State respectively,[11][12] he completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,151 yards with 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions as the undisputed starter, before injuring his left shoulder against Iowa, which required surgery, forcing him to miss the rest of the 2014 season.[13] Despite this, he was an Academic All-Big Ten selection[14] and was named to the Manning Award watchlist.[15]

Ahead of the 2015 season, his senior year, Sudfeld attended the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University.[16] He passed for 3,573 yards with 27 touchdowns during his senior season.[17]

College statistics

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Indiana Hoosiers
Season Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Cmp Att Yds Pct TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2012 7 0 51 82 632 62.2 7 1 152.7 15 7 0.5 0
2013 12 8 194 322 2,523 60.2 21 9 142.0 38 −34 −0.9 1
2014 6 6 101 167 1,151 60.5 6 3 126.6 36 98 2.7 2
2015 12 12 247 412 3,573 60.0 27 7 151.0 46 61 1.3 5
Career[18] 37 26 593 983 7,879 60.3 61 20 144.1 135 132 1.0 8

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 6+18 in
(1.98 m)
234 lb
(106 kg)
34+14 in
(0.87 m)
9+78 in
(0.25 m)
4.93 s 1.79 s 2.92 s 4.48 s 7.42 s 29.5 in
(0.75 m)
9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)
28[19]
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[20][21]

Washington Redskins

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Sudfeld with the Washington Redskins in 2016

Sudfeld was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round as the 187th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.[22] On May 9, 2016, he signed a four-year, $2.5 million contract with the Redskins.[23] Sudfeld did not see any playing time his rookie year, as he was inactive for all 16 games as the team's third-string quarterback behind starter Kirk Cousins and primary backup Colt McCoy. On September 2, 2017, Sudfeld was waived by the Redskins.[24]

Philadelphia Eagles

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On September 3, 2017, Sudfeld was signed to the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles.[25] He was promoted to the active roster on November 1, 2017.[26] With the NFC's number one seed already clinched, Sudfeld made his first appearance in an NFL regular season game. He saw significant playing time during the season finale, completing 19 of 23 passes for 134 yards as the Eagles lost to the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 6–0.[27] His 83% completion percentage set a new NFL record for completion percentage for a quarterback making his NFL debut (minimum 20 attempts). The record was previously held by Sam Wyche, who completed 80 percent of his passes for the Cincinnati Bengals against the Houston Oilers in 1968.[28] In the NFC Championship against the Minnesota Vikings, he appeared in his first playoff game late in the 4th to take a knee down since the Eagles already locked up the 38–7 victory.[29] The Eagles advanced to Super Bowl LII, where they won a close game against the New England Patriots 41–33, giving the Eagles their first Super Bowl win. Sudfeld was active as the backup to Foles, but did not play a down during the game.[30][31] On December 30, 2018, Sudfeld came into the game against his former team to replace an injured Nick Foles and threw his first career touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor.[32]

On March 11, 2019, the Eagles placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on Sudfeld.[33] On August 8, 2019, Sudfeld suffered a broken left wrist in the preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. Without Sudfeld, the Eagles lost 27-10. He had surgery the following day with Eagles coach Doug Pederson saying it was likely not a season-ending injury.[34]

The Eagles re-signed Sudfeld to a one-year contract on March 24, 2020.[35] During the last game of the 2020 regular season against the Washington Football Team, Pederson replaced starting quarterback Jalen Hurts with Sudfeld early in the fourth quarter.[36] Sudfeld threw an interception and fumbled on the next two Eagles drives, allowing Washington to win the game 20–14.[37] With the Eagles down by three points before Sudfeld entered the game, the move drew allegations of Pederson deliberately losing the game to increase the team's draft position, although Pederson said the decision was to give Sudfeld the opportunity to play.[38][36]

San Francisco 49ers

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Sudfeld signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on April 7, 2021.[39] He was released on August 31, 2021, and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[40][41] After rookie quarterback Trey Lance suffered a sprained knee, Sudfeld was elevated to the active roster as the second option behind incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo in a Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.[42]

On March 10, 2022, Sudfeld re-signed with the 49ers.[43] He was released on August 30, 2022.[44]

Detroit Lions

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On August 31, 2022, Sudfeld was signed by the Detroit Lions to be the backup for Jared Goff.[45]

On March 24, 2023, Sudfeld re-signed with the Lions.[46] On August 25, Sudfeld tore his ACL during a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. He was subsequently ruled out for the season.[47]

On March 27, 2024, Sudfeld re-signed with the Lions.[48] On August 27, he was released as part of final roster cuts before the start of the 2024 season.[49]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked Fumbles
GP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck Yds Fum Lost
2016 WAS 0 0 DNP
2017 PHI 1 0 19 23 82.6 134 5.8 16 0 0 90.9 1 22 22.0 22 0 3 24 0 0
2018 PHI 2 0 1 2 50.2 22 11.2 22 1 0 129.2 2 -2 -1.0 -1 0 0 0 0 0
2019 PHI 0 0 DNP
2020 PHI 1 0 5 12 41.1 32 2.7 10 0 1 14.6 2 12 6.0 12 0 2 16 1 1
2021 SF 0 0 DNP
2022 DET 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 5 -4 -0.8 0 0 1 7 0 0
2023 DET 0 0 Did not play due to injury
Career 6 0 25 37 67.7 188 5.1 22 1 1 77.3 10 28 2.8 22 0 6 47 1 1

Personal life

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Sudfeld is the son of Ralph and Michelle Sudfeld and has two brothers, twins Matthew and Zach, and two sisters, Juliana and Sarah. Matthew was a wide receiver at Brown, while Zach played at Nevada and played in the NFL as a tight end for the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.[4] Juliana played volleyball for Wheaton College in Illinois.[50] Sarah plays basketball for The King's College in New York City.[51]

References

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  1. ^ Estrada, Richard T. (August 10, 2010). "New era at Modesto Christian". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "Nathan Sudfeld's (Modesto, CA) Football Stats – MaxPreps". MaxPreps.com. December 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "Football 11.html". Trans Valley League. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Nate Sudfeld - Football". Indiana University Athletics. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "Nate Sudfeld". ESPN.com.
  6. ^ "Former Modesto Christian QB Nate Sudfeld has Indiana rising". Black Hat Football. February 11, 2013.
  7. ^ "Indiana QB Tre Roberson may miss 5–6 months with broken leg". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 11, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  8. ^ "Nate Sudfeld named Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week". InsideIndiana & HSN.
  9. ^ "Nate Sudfeld's sophomore success doesn't surprise everyone". InsideIndiana & HSN.
  10. ^ "Nate Sudfeld". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  11. ^ MIKE VOREL (May 16, 2014). "Former Indiana QB Cameron Coffman transferring to Wyoming". Casper Star-Tribune Online.
  12. ^ "Indiana QB Tre Roberson announces he will transfer". Big Ten Network. June 11, 2014.
  13. ^ "Indiana's Nate Sudfeld needs shoulder surgery, done for season". ESPN.com. October 13, 2014.
  14. ^ "20 Hoosiers earn Academic All-Big Ten".
  15. ^ "Sudfeld named to Manning Award watch list". 247Sports. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018.
  16. ^ "Nate Sudfeld Attends Manning Passing Academy". Hoosier State of Mind. July 15, 2015.
  17. ^ "Nate Sudfeld 2015 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  18. ^ "Nate Sudfeld". www.sports-reference.com. USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  19. ^ McGinn, Bob (April 20, 2016). "Rating the NFL draft prospects: Quarterbacks". JSOnline.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  20. ^ "Nate Sudfeld Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  21. ^ "2016 Draft Scout Nate Sudfeld, Indiana NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  22. ^ Czarda, Stephen (April 30, 2016). "Redskins Add Indiana Quarterback Nate Sudfeld In Sixth Round". Redskins.com. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  23. ^ "Nate Sudfeld contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  24. ^ "9/2: Redskins Make Roster Moves". Redskins.com. September 2, 2017. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017.
  25. ^ "Eagles Announce 10-Man Practice Squad". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. September 3, 2017. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018.
  26. ^ McPherson, Chris (November 1, 2017). "Eagles Promote QB Nate Sudfeld To The Active Roster After Another Team Tried To Sign Him". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  27. ^ "Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – December 31st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  28. ^ Kerr, Jeff (January 1, 2018). "Nate Sudfeld sets NFL record in first NFL game". 247sports.com. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  29. ^ "NFC Championship – Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles – January 21st, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  30. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LII". NFL. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  31. ^ Jones, Lindsay H. (February 5, 2018). "Super Bowl 2018: Eagles dethrone Tom Brady, Patriots in stunner". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  32. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins – December 30th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  33. ^ Williams, Charean (March 11, 2019). "Eagles give Nate Sudfeld second-round tender". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  34. ^ Schaller, Olivia. "Game Recap: Nate Sudfeld injured in 27-10 loss to Tennessee". Philadelphia Eagles.
  35. ^ McPherson, Chris (March 17, 2020). "Eagles agree to terms with QB Nate Sudfeld on a one-year contract". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  36. ^ a b McManus, Tim (January 4, 2021). "Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson says he was 'coaching to win' against Washington, wanted to get Nate Sudfeld some reps". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  37. ^ Gordon, Grant. "'Sickening': Giants players voice displeasure with Eagles' decision to bench Hurts vs. Washington". NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  38. ^ "Cris Collinsworth expected to hear from NFL over tanking talk". www.msn.com. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  39. ^ "49ers Sign QB Nate Sudfeld". 49ers.com. April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  40. ^ "49ers Announce Initial 53-Man Roster Ahead of NFL Deadline". 49ers.com. August 31, 2021.
  41. ^ "49ers Sign 13 Players to Practice Squad". 49ers.com. September 1, 2021. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  42. ^ Wagoner, Nick (October 22, 2021). "Jimmy Garoppolo returns, but Trey Lance, Javon Kinlaw, Maurice Hurst all out Sunday for San Francisco 49ers". ESPN. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  43. ^ "49ers Announce Series of Extensions, Reserve/Future Contract". 49ers.com. March 10, 2022.
  44. ^ "49ers Announce 2022 Initial 53-Man Roster Ahead of NFL Deadline". 49ers.com. August 30, 2022.
  45. ^ "Lions sign QB Nate Sudfeld". DetroitLions.com. August 31, 2022.
  46. ^ "Lions re-sign QB Nate Sudfeld". DetroitLions.com. March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  47. ^ Birkett, Dave (August 28, 2023). "Detroit Lions QB Nate Sudfeld has torn ACL, will miss 2023 NFL season". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  48. ^ "Lions re-sign backup QB Nate Sudfeld". Yahoo! Sports. March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  49. ^ "Lions announce roster moves". DetroitLions.com. August 27, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  50. ^ "Juliana Sudfeld - Volleyball".
  51. ^ "The King's College Women's Basketball Roster".
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