The Detroit Lions got a quick start to reshaping their quarterback room August 31 with a pair of waiver moves.
A day after keeping David Blough as a backup QB on their initial 53-man roster, the Lions moved on from Blough, who was cut, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
“Unfortunate end to a good “Hard Knocks” story: The Lions are waiving QB David Blough, per source,” Pelissero tweeted.
Unfortunate end to a good “Hard Knocks” story: The #Lions are waiving QB David Blough, per source.
His replacement? Journeyman backup Nate Sudfeld, who was formerly of the San Francisco 49ers. Sudfeld will be added to the team, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“The Lions are expected to sign former 49ers backup QB Nate Sudfeld, source said. They had discussions about trading for him, now land him as a free agent,” Rapoport tweeted.
Now that Sudfeld is in the mix, the Lions have a veteran player behind Jared Goff for 2022. Whether he is the only player the team signs remains to be seen.
Sudfeld’s Stats & Highlights
The former Indiana quarterback was the Washington Commanders’ sixth-round pick in 2016. After a year in Washington in which he did not play, Sudfeld went to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he lasted for four seasons, appearing in four games and winning a 2018 Super Bowl ring. After departing Philadelphia after the 2020 season, Sudfeld went to San Francisco, where he lasted until 2022 without playing a down for the 49ers.
In his four appearances, Sudfeld has just 188 yards to his credit on 25-of-37 passing, with one touchdown against one interception.
Lions Backup Quarterbacks Unimpressive
Blough, a member of the Lions since 2019, was a featured character this season on HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Detroit Lions.” Viewers got to know the Purdue product and his wife, U.S. Olympic track star Melissa Gonzalez, and at one point, Blough said he’d make a lot more money if he were as fast as his wife.
Episode 2 of the show focused on Blough’s costly fourth-quarter fumble in the Lions’ preseason-opening 27-23 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on August 12.
“Blough’s late-game fumble really ate at him,” wrote Tim Twentyman of detroitlions.com on August 16. “I suspect that will be fuel for him in this week’s preseason game in Indianapolis.” The Lions won that game 27-26, with Blough going 16-of-22 for 76 yards and a touchdown against an interception.
In the preseason finale, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Blough replaced the ineffective Tim Boyle. Blough did lead the Lions to a touchdown with 30 seconds left in the game, but he was inconsistent overall as the Lions lost 19-9. For the game, he was 17-of-32 for 160 yards and a touchdown.
Boyle, who has 16 career appearances with the Lions and Green Bay Packers, did not have a good game against the Steelers. He started the first and second halves, but wound going 5-of-15 for 64 yards with an interception, compiling a quarterback rating of 19.8.
The handwriting appeared to be on the wall for Boyle when head coach Dan Campbell intimated after the Steelers game that the decision was mostly made.
“What I would say is, I think it became very clear. I think we got things answered, and I would leave it at that,” Campbell told the media.
Boyle was cut by the Lions on August 30.
“I think we got things answered.”
Coach Campbell on the backup quarterback competition
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Lions Sign Journeyman Super Bowl Champ Quarterback to Roster: Report