Lions appreciate Nate Sudfeld’s “experienced presence” – The Oakland Press

June 29, 2024

Detroit Lions quarterback Nate Sudfeld throws during an NFL football practice Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Jared Goff will certainly be the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback beginning in the 2024 season – and for the foreseeable future after signing a four-year, $212 million contract extension this offseason.

Meanwhile, Hendon Hooker, a 2023 third-round pick (No. 68 overall), is the clear favorite to replace Goff. Sure, the Lions have indicated there will be competition between Hooker and Nate Sudfeld — who was injured all of last year with a torn ACL — for the position. But there’s little doubt that Hooker is being groomed to be the team’s second quarterback and will get every possible opportunity to get the job this summer.

This obviously puts Sudfeld in an unenviable position with training camp approaching, but that doesn’t mean the backup player won’t play a role in Detroit in 2024. For Lions quarterback coach Mark Brunell, Sudfeld can still be a valuable member of the organization’s quarterback team and, as a “veteran player,” help Goff continue to play at a high level.

“He hasn’t played a lot, but he’s been around a lot. That’s what Nate has to offer,” Brunell told reporters. “He’s been in multiple systems. He’s a hard-working guy with a great attitude. He’s outstanding in the room. He’s outstanding in the locker room, guys like him, but he’s very smart. He understands situational football as well as anyone I’ve been around. We ask a lot of our quarterbacks at the line of scrimmage and in the huddle. We ask our guys to put us in the right play.

“So if you have a game and there’s a problem there, you need to be able to fix it. And within the parameters of the game, we have the ability to move from one game to the next depending on what we see, and 99 percent of the time, Nate is right.”

Sudfeld, a sixth-round pick of the then-Washington Redskins in 2016, has played in just six games in his NFL career and hasn’t thrown a single pass in two seasons with Dan Campbell’s team.

“He (Sudfeld) understands the defense, he knows what to look for and he’s just very, very smart,” Brunell continued. “He can get you to the right play and that’s half the battle. If you can do that and then execute, you’re going to move the team forward. Having him in the room with that ability and his ability to work well with the other guys and be a resource for Jared, similar to how David Blough was last year and similar to how Nate was, is a huge advantage for the quarterback and the quarterback coach.”

Brunell also sees Sudfeld’s experience as a valuable resource for Hooker, who is currently in his second season as an NFL passer.

“Oh, absolutely, it’s not just for Jared. Nate has been great for Hendon, too,” Brunell said. “We haven’t had a bad room since I’ve been here. All the guys get along really well. We have guys with really good character, hard-working guys who are professionals. And when you have those guys in your room, it creates a really positive work environment. And listen, they all cheer each other on and help each other out, so it’s really good.”

This article was written by the Sports Illustrated/All Lions staff. For more information, visit si.com/nfl/lions