Lions Value 'Veteran Presence' of Nate Sudfeld

Nate Sudfeld could help both Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker in 2024.

Lions backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld runs off the field after the organized team activities in Allen Park on Thursday, May 23, 2024. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jared Goff is a lock to be the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback entering the 2024 season – and for the foreseeable future, after signing a four-year, $212 million extension this offseason.

Meanwhile, Hendon Hooker, a 2023 third-round pick (No. 68 overall), is the prohibitive favorite to be Goff's backup. Sure, the Lions have indicated that there will be a competition between Hooker and Nate Sudfeld – injured for all of last year with a torn ACL – for the position.

However, there's little-to-no doubt that Hooker is being groomed to be the team's No. 2 quarterback, and will get every opportunity imaginable to win the job this summer.

While that obviously leaves Sudfeld in an unenviable spot as training camp approaches, it doesn't mean the career backup won't have a role with Detroit in 2024. To Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell, Sudfeld can still be a valuable member of the organization’s quarterbacks room, serving as a “veteran presence” that can help Goff continue to play at a high level.

“Now, he hasn’t played a lot, but he’s been around a lot. This is what Nate brings to the table,” Brunell told reporters. “He’s been in multiple systems. He is a hard-working guy with a great attitude. He’s excellent in the room. He’s excellent in the locker room, guys like him, but he’s very smart. He understands situational football as well as anybody 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 get us into the right play. 

“So, if you have a play and there’s a problem over there, you have to be able to fix it. And within the parameters of the play, we have the opportunity to go from one play to the next depending on what we’re seeing, and 99 percent of the time, Nate is right.”

Sudfeld, a sixth-round pick in 2016 of the then-Washington Redskins, has suited up for just six games in his NFL career. Additionally, he's failed to throw a single pass in two seasons with Dan Campbell's squad.

“He (Sudfeld) understands defenses, he knows what to look for and he’s just very, very smart,” Brunell continued. “He can get you into the right play, and that’s half the battle. If you can do that and then go execute it, you’re gonna move the team. Having him in the room, with that ability and his ability to work well with the other guys and be a resource for Jared, much like David Blough was last year and much like Nate has been, having those guys in the room is a huge asset for the quarterback and the quarterback coach.”

Brunell views Sudfeld’s veteran savvy as also being a valuable resource for Hooker, who's just in his second season as an NFL passer.

“Oh absolutely, this is not just for Jared. Nate has been great for Hendon, as well,” Brunell said. “Listen, since I’ve been here, we haven’t had a bad room. All the guys get along real well. We’ve got guys that have really good character, hard-working guys that are pros. And so, when you’ve got those guys in your room, it creates a really positive work environment. And listen, they’re all kind of cheering for each other and helping each other, and so, it’s been real good.”