Another quarterback who once showed promise to his former team has joined the 49ers.
San Francisco has signed Nate Sudfeld to a one-year deal, the team announced Wednesday.
Sudfeld joins the 49ers after spending the entirety of his career to this point with the Eagles, where he loomed as a backup with developmental intrigue to the former regime in Phildaelphia. Despite showing potential in practice and preseason action, Sudfeld rarely saw the regular-season field until his final game as an Eagle, when coach Doug Pederson inserted him in a close contest that had playoff implications for Washington and the rest of the NFC East, drawing sharp criticism from onlookers.
Sudfeld was predictably mediocre, and the Eagles' chances of victory fizzled. Pederson was grilled afterward, while many wondered if he was coaching to win in the aftermath of the ugly finish. Pederson said after the game he felt Sudfeld had earned a chance to get some live reps in a regular-season game after spending four seasons on Philadelphia's bench.
Weeks later, Pederson was fired and Sudfeld headed to free agency.
Sudfeld joins a 49ers quarterback room headed by Jimmy Garoppolo with a seat reserved for San Francisco's upcoming first-round selection.
Former first-rounder Josh Rosen is also part of the group, having joined the 49ers in 2020 with a bit of intrigue as another developmental prospect in a style similar to that of Sudfeld.
With San Francisco set to select its quarterback of the future in the first round later this month, a battle looms for a roster spot behind Garoppolo and the new draft pick, provided Garoppolo remains with the team following the draft.