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Nate Sudfeld could be vying for a second shiny championship ring if San Francisco advances to the Super Bowl. The former third-string quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles was elevated from the practice squad to the 49ers’ active roster.
Sudfeld isn’t expected to suit up for Sunday night’s NFC Championship Game, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. The 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams on January 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the conference final. Sudfeld sits behind starter Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Trey Lance on the quarterback depth chart. He would get a ring whether he plays or not should the 49ers win it all.
Garoppolo is dealing with a right thumb injury, per Pro Football Talk, but his sore right shoulder should be fine. He’s expected to play. Good news since Sudfeld didn’t appear in a game this season for the 49ers and hasn’t attempted a pass since 2020.
The 28-year-old was part of a tanking controversy when he replaced Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter of a three-point game. He went 5-of-12 (41.7%) for 32 yards with an interception in that one while taking two sacks. New York Giants players vented their frustrations over the bizarre situation.
Originally a sixth-round pick of Washington in 2016, Sudfeld spent four seasons in midnight green before heading to San Francisco on a one-year deal worth $990,000, including $252,000 guaranteed. He was part of the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl-winning team.
Nate Sudfeld completed 82.6 percent of his passes Sunday, which set an NFL record for completion percentage for a quarterback making his NFL debut (minimum 20 attempts). He had a 90.9 passer rating. #FlyEaglesFly #CPS
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Jeffrey Lurie Loved Sudfeld’s ‘Long Ball’
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was the founding member of the Nate Sudfeld Fan Club. He raved about the quarterback’s potential during a rambling end-of-year press conference in January 2021 when he called Sudfeld “unstoppable” and referred to a meaningless regular-season game.
Jeff Lurie just called Nate Sudfeld “unstoppable” in that game against Dallas a few years ago when he went 19-for-23. Yeah, well Nate threw for all of 134 yards & 0 TDs in that game. Eagles got shut out. Nobody’s version of unstoppable.
“He was our backup in the Super Bowl because we had so much confidence in Nate,” Lurie said of Sudfeld in 2021. “We talked about [how] we are going to advance far here, we hope, and who is going to be there if Nick [Foles] gets injured, and we had a lot of confidence in Nate.”
Jeffrey Lurie on the decision to play Nate Sudfeld: “Throws the best long ball on the roster. I think what happened was he, if you remember, broke his wrist in the preseason a year ago. Our plan was to give Nate a lot of playing time in that preseason.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Lurie also said that Sudfeld threw the best deep ball on the team. Better than Carson Wentz. Better than Jalen Hurts.
“I’m at practice a lot,” Lurie said. “Throws the best long ball on the roster.”
Rams Promote Blake Countess to 53
The Los Angeles Rams promoted Blake Countess from the practice squad to the active roster. The former Eagles safety was added to the 53 last week and saw eight snaps on special teams. None on defense. Countess was originally a sixth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2016 where he served three different stints.
Rams activated Ernest Jones from injured reserve, activated Eric Weddle, Blake Countess from practice squad, signed Ryan Santoso, Carson Tinker to practice squad
Known as an “extremely hard hitter” coming out of college, Countess wowed on scout team at practices where some teammates complained he was too violent. The 28-year-old veteran has seen action in 45 career games, including four starts. He has 57 total tackles, along with one sack and three pass breakups during time with the Eagles, Rams, Jets, Ravens.
49ers WR Marquise Goodwin got carted off the field after this hit by #Rams safety Blake Countess. Terrifying.
Countess was never invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, a snub he carries as a chip on his shoulder to this day.
“So at the end of the day, while I did take it very personal and I was upset about it, I didn’t let that stop me,” Countess told the Eagles’ website in 2016. “I continued to work as if I was going, and I had a pretty solid showing in my pro day, and ultimately got drafted.”
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49ers Surprisingly Promote Ex-Eagles QB Ahead of NFC Championship