March 17, 2020
Kate Frese/for PhillyVoice
As of right now, Nate Sudfeld is a Carson Wentz injury away from being the Eagles starting quarterback.
The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Tuesday morning that they have agreed to terms with backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who will be returning to the team for his fourth season. Sudfeld has been the No. 3 quarterback in Philly since the 2017 season.
Looking back at the Eagles' 2019 training camp and preseason, the Eagles appeared as though they were heading into the regular season with Sudfeld as the No. 2. However, it seemed at times that they weren't 100 percent sold on Sudfeld's readiness as the team's primary backup quarterback, despite what they said publicly.
When Sudfeld injured his wrist during a preseason game — coupled with both Cody Kessler and rookie Clayton Thorson looking woefully inept — that finally convinced the Eagles to coax Josh McCown out of retirement to be the No. 2. McCown never relinquished that No. 2 job, and Sudfeld carried on as the No. 3 for the third straight season.
There's little question that Sudfeld knows the offense. To be determined if he can put his stamp on the No. 2 job in 2020. The Eagles could have a similar plan as the one they had in 2019, when they attempted to draft a developmental quarterback to be their No. 3 (obviously, Thorson didn't pan out), or, depending on how much they like 2019 practice squad guy Kyle Lauletta as a player worth developing, maybe a quarterback won't be in the 2020 draft plans.
With backup quarterbacks commanding good money on the open market and the Eagles in need of addressing more glaring holes on the roster, Sudfeld makes sense as a No. 2 placeholder once again in 2020, who still has to officially earn the primary backup job. If he falters throughout training camp or the preseason, McCown, who is still recovering from hamstring surgery, could be on speed dial.
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