In Carson Wentz’s QB Room, Nate Sudfeld Still Matters

After the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts, Nate Sudfeld became the forgotten man in the team's quarterback equation

Maybe it is the self-assuredness of understanding he’s been the one constant in the Eagles quarterback room.

Since arriving as the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, Carson Wentz has been just that, the calm in an ever-changing quarterback room.

From Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel to Nick Foles and Nate Sudfeld, all the way up to Josh McCown and now Jalen Hurts, constant turnover has kind of been the story of the NFL as a whole.

Even the guy running the meetings has shifted for Wentz, from John DeFillippo to Press Taylor, and now that Taylor is also Doug Pederson’s passing-game coordinator, some of his positional duties might even shift to passing-game analyst Andrew Breiner.

Someday, Wentz will be part of that turnover but not now, not in the second year after a monster contract extension, even with Hurts brought in as a second-round insurance policy.

“For me, it doesn’t really matter if the people in the room, the quarterbacks, are 18 years old or 40,” said Wentz on an audio call on Monday. “For me, we’re in this thing together. We’re working together. Everyone brings something to the table.”

The forgotten man in the equation to many is Sudfeld but some might want to pump the brakes on that thought.

For the first time, Wentz should be the veteran in the room with no Bradford, Foles, or McCown to lean on. That was the plan before last season as well before Sudfeld, Wentz’s close friend, broke his wrist in the preseason.

Sudfeld came into the league in the same draft class as Wentz but lacks the playing experience.

“Some bring a ton of experience from different playbooks,” said Wentz when discussing the projected 2020 setup. “Some can bring ideas that they had in college and different ways they were able to manufacture big plays in college. I think we’re all bringing something unique no matter our ages. So I’m excited to work with (Hurts, Sudfeld, and Kyle Lauletta).”

Sudfeld, though, is the one guy who has been around Wentz for an extended period and their relationship stretches far beyond football.

“Nate and I stay in touch all the time," said Wentz. "t’s more than just football. He’s one of my best friends. He’s a great guy.”

While most assume Hurts will be Wentz’s backup, Sudfeld may have a leg up early due to the COVID-19 pandemic turning this into a virtual offseason, one in which Hurts will not have any on-field OTAs or minicamp to ease into the program.

Sudfeld, on the other hand, already knows and understands Doug Pederson’s offense.

“He’s confident in himself,” said Wentz. “He’s excited that whenever we can get back on the grass, he’ll prove himself again. He’s always kind of had that mentality with being a 2 or a 3 everywhere he’s been, that he’s got something to prove every time he’s on the field, and he’s excited to prove it.”

Approaching free agency earlier this offseason, Sudfeld entered the NFL’s legal-tampering period with a decision to make, either make another run at being Wentz’s backup or take his chances in another city where perhaps new eyes would mean new opportunities.

In the end, Sudfeld took a one-year deal and less money than he made in 2019 to return to Philadelphia.

“The chapter of that book is not closed for me," said Sudfeld. "I feel like there are still things I want to accomplish (with the Eagles)."

That decision was pre-Hurts, however, the No. 53 overall pick in last month’s draft.

Now Sudfeld seems like a lame duck on the way to his next job in another city in 2021.

All it takes to change that perception is one opportunity and that’s the life of any backup QB.

“It’s interesting, I can do well in practice and there are things I obviously want to improve on but the crazy thing about quarterback especially is that you never really know about a guy until they’re thrown in there and so the only way to get experience is to get experience," said Sudfeld.

The path toward that experience is paved by winning the competition.

“I’m excited to see the competition come to life, really with all four of us,” said Wentz. “It’ll be fun.”

John McMullen covers the Eagles for SI.com and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every day on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes, Every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SBNation Radio, and every weekday on ESPN 97.3 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen