When the Philadelphia Eagles selected Jalen Hurts in the second round of last month's NFL Draft, much of the discussion was on what it means for Carson Wentz. In reality, the man most affected by the addition was backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld.
The signal-caller re-signed a one-year deal to presumptively be Wentz's backup. It was a job Sudfeld was slated to fill last year before a preseason injury forced the Eagles to bring in Josh McCown to play the role.
Theoretically, the addition of Hurts could rock the boat in the Eagles' QB room, with both Wentz and Sudfeld feeling threatened by the pick. Sudfeld, however, doesn't see it being an issue in Philly.
The 26-year-old QB said on the Eagles Insider Podcast that the team told him they'd add a quarterback to the mix, whether through free agency or the draft, so the Hurts selection didn't come as a surprise and shouldn't upset the flow of work.
"Everyone kind of makes it dramatic or a big deal," Sudfeld said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. "But once you're kind of in that quarterback room, it's a lot of helping each other out and everyone just getting better. It's never really weird at all. Just looking forward to getting back into the room together with guys and getting to work."
Sudfeld re-signed in Philly with the hopes of parlaying a full season as Wentz's backup into a shot at a starting role down the line with another club. GM Howie Roseman noted after the draft that the lack of a long-term backup behind Wentz was one reason for the Hurts selection.
"I'm just looking forward to when all this stuff dies down with the COVID and I can just get back to work," Sudfeld said. "Because I'm excited about the guy we got. I think Jalen is an incredible teammate and player and I think he's going to have a great, long career."
If Wentz goes down with another injury, it will be interesting to see if the Eagles thrust Hurts into action or finally give Sudfeld a shot to show off the skill set that has made him a favorite of the coaching staff.
