Getty Quarterback Nate Sudfeld #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles.
On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers signed former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nate Sudfeld, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.
The deal is for one year, however, financial terms have not yet been disclosed.
The Niners now have a quarterback depth chart featuring Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh Rosen, Josh Johnson and Sudfeld.
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Sudfeld Is a Former 6th-Round Pick
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Sudfeld, 27, was drafted by the Washington Football Team in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was let go prior to the 2017 regular season after being inactive for all 16 games the year prior. He was quickly scooped up by the Eagles, where he has been for the last four seasons before coming to the Bay Area. One of his twin brothers, Zach, also played in the NFL as a tight end for the New England Patriots and New York Jets from 2013-14.
In five NFL seasons, Sudfeld has seen action in four games with zero starts, completing 25 out of 37 throws for 188 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Modesto, California native will likely be competing with Rosen this offseason for a third-string job.
Rosen, the Arizona Cardinals’ 10th overall pick in 2018, originally joined the 49ers in December 2020 with QB ratings of 66.7 (2018) and 52.0 (2019) to show for his first two campaigns. During his rookie season, Rosen finished with 2,278 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as the Cardinals finished 3–10 with UCLA product under center. The following year, Arizona drafted Kyler Murray first overall and traded Rosen to the Dolphins for a second-round and fifth-round draft pick. He stepped into the starting role for veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick three times (all losses), where he threw just one touchdown compared to five interceptions. Miami then drafted Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall last April, leaving Rosen out of a job once again.
As for Johnson, his days as a backup quarterback are likely coming to an end.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan usually keeps just three quarterbacks on the roster, activating only two for game days. On March 26, the Niners made another blockbuster trade with the Dolphins, this time to move up to the No. 3 overall pick, which the team is expected to use to draft another quarterback.
49ers Also Added Former Eagles LB in Free Agency
Sudfeld now joins his former Eagles teammate, linebacker Nate Gerry, who the Niners signed on March 27.
Gerry entered last season as a starter, but was left out of the Eagles’ defensive rotation by the end of the year.
The former 2017 fifth-round selection out of Nebraska recorded just 57 tackles, four tackles for a loss, 1.0 sack and two passes defended through seven games with the Eagles last year. His 2020 campaign was cut short in October after having to undergo season-ending surgery for an Achilles injury that he tried to play through. Gerry ended 2020 allowing an NFL-worst 146.4 passer rating in coverage after earned above-average grades the three years prior.
In 2019, Gerry played 335 snaps on special teams in addition to 620 on defense. In four NFL seasons, the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder has recorded 163 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 10 passes defended and three interceptions — one of which he returned for a pick-six.
52-yard Pick-6 🚨
@Eagles LB @NathanGerry takes it to the house! #NYJvsPHI
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The 26-year-old comes to San Francisco with a Super Bowl ring from Philadelphia’s 2018 title run. He was also a favorite of former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who used him as his starting middle linebacker.
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