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The Detroit Lions are putting together their 53-man roster, and in the process, they’ve cut backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Nate Sudfeld is Out, Hendon Hooker Has ‘Won the Job’
Rapoport took to X to share the news that Sudfeld was being released from the Lions. In the message, he stated the Lions “are releasing QB Nate Sudfeld, who has spent plenty of time as No. 2 QB.”
Rapoport also said that he believes Hooker will now be Detroit’s No. 2 quarterback.
“Now, it appears it’s Hendon Hooker who has won the job,” Rapoport wrote. “Sudfeld has impressed plenty in practice (without a ton of game reps) and will find his way into a practice squad, at the least.”
NFL Experts, Analysts Thought Nate Sudfeld Would Be Q2
What makes this move a bit of a curveball is that several NFL analysts and experts predicted Sudfeld would be the No. 2 backup quarterback to Jared Goff.
“Nate Sudfeld not appearing against the Steelers all but solidified his spot on the roster as the team’s backup quarterback behind veteran Jared Goff,” John Maakaron of Sports Illustrated wrote in an August 24 article.
That same day, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also said Sudfeld appeared to be the No. 2 guy behind Goff, writing, “Hendon Hooker fighting for QB2 in Detroit. Chiefs thought he saw the field well vs. them last week. More positive work vs. Steelers will strengthen his case. Nate Sudfeld slated as the 2 right now.”
In an August 25 feature, Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit didn’t say Sudfeld would outright make the roster, but he did state, “Not only did Sudfeld rest during the preseason finale, he also got a pretty significant endorsement from coach Dan Campbell earlier in the week.”
Reisman was referencing a statement Campbell made about Sudfeld following the Lions’ August 17 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, in which Campbell said that “Hooker is a young developing quarterback and he needs reps and he needs time. I do know that. And Nate, right now, has the upper hand because he’s played more. He’s been in it more, he’s seen it more. And so with that, that would tell you there’s a good chance you could keep three (quarterbacks on the 53-man roster). Am I going to say that’s 100 percent certain right now? No. But that’s kind of what you look at.”
However, not all analysts believed Sudfeld would be No. 2. In his Detroit Lions 53-man roster projection going into 2024 season, dated August 24, Brad Berreman of SideLionReport.com picked Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker and a quarterback “to be named,” cutting Sudfeld.
Dan Campbell Wasn’t Willing to Commit to Nate Sudfeld Towards the End
On Monday, August 26, Campbell said he was unwilling to commit to Sudfeld, which perhaps foreshadowed what was to come.
During Campbell’s press conference that day, he was asked by John Maakaron of SI.com if Sudfeld was still ahead of Hooker on the depth chart. “It’s hard to answer that,” Campbell said. “They both bring something different.”
Sudfeld is not subject to waivers, so he could be taken back on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.
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