Getty Nate Sudfeld playing in a 2023 game for the Lions vs. Chicago.
Detroit Lions quarterback Nate Sudfeld could be entering a make-or-break week after the team brought in some veteran competition.
The team this week signed signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater to bring another option behind starter Jared Goff. Though Sudfeld held down the No. 2 spot last season and had little competition going into training camp this year, he may now need to outplay the journeyman and former rival quarterback to keep his spot on the roster.
Nate Sudfeld Struggled in Training Camp
As Brad Berreman of the Fansided site SideLion Report noted, Sudfeld had a strong offseason and earned praise from the Lions coaching staff but ran into a rough patch in training camp.
The Lions have shown a propensity to move on from backup quarterbacks, the report added, and Sudfeld will now have a challenge in trying to hold off Bridgewater from taking the job.
“The Lions turned over their quarterback depth chart behind Jared Goff late in the 2022 preseason, swapping out David Blough and Tim Boyle for Sudfeld after neither incumbent took the reigns of being Goff’s backup during the preseason games,” the report noted, adding that “Sudfeld seems to be fading toward a similar fate.”
Sudfeld could have an opportunity to prove himself this week, as Berreman noted that Bridgewater will not be able to join the team immediately and there are a few opportunities where Sudfeld can prove himself — joint practices with the New York Giants and the team’s first preseason game on Friday.
That could leave Sudfeld fighting for his job.
“Sudfeld will see a lot action during Friday night’s game,” Berreman wrote. “But the work he gets against the Giants’ defense and defensive coordinator ‘Wink’ Martindale during the joint practice sessions will be important too.”
Lions Share Praise for Teddy Bridgewater
Sudfeld was not able to put together much of a resume last season as he saw little time behind the steady Goff, registering no stats for the year. Bridgewater, by contract, has an extensive NFL resume that includes 65 starts over the course of his eight seasons.
Bridgewater saw action in five games for the Miami Dolphins last year in relief of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, completing 62% of his passes for 683 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
“I’ve seen him develop young talents (and) young receivers. We lost Brees, he goes 5-0. He just went in there and he kept the ship afloat and just kept the heading right where we needed it. And that means a lot to me. And that’s all we need.”
Bridgewater also got a strong endorsement from Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who noted his familiarity with the veteran quarterback from their time together on the New Orleans Saints.
“When you’re with somebody for two years, you get a really good feel of what they’re capable of and the way they’re wired, the way he thinks, and so I’ve seen him work,” Campbell said on August 8, via the Detroit Free Press. “I’ve seen him run the offense, I’ve seen him in critical moments, I’ve seen him develop young talent, young receivers.”
Campbell added that Bridgewater has shined in the big moments, leading the Saints to a 5-0 record in relief of Drew Brees in 2019.
“He just, he went in there and he kept the ship afloat and just kept the heading right where we needed it and that means a lot to me, and that’s all we need,” Campbell said. “And so to me, that’s one of the reasons I wanted him here.”