Week 1 of the 2025 NFL regular season is almost here as the preseason winds down. The Detroit Lions have played to a 1-2 record through their first three exhibition contests, and even though the preseason is relatively meaningless in the grand scheme, Lions fans would feel more optimistic if head coach Dan Campbell & Co. can beat the Houston Texans on Saturday.
With some time to kill before the Texans visit Ford Field, some Lions fans are doing a last-minute check-in on the franchise's former players who are still looking for work. Although landing an NFL contract at this point in the offseason isn't easy, one ex-Lions quarterback just found the opportunity he's been looking for.
Per source, the 49ers will be signing QB Nate Sudfeld, who had a tryout with them on Monday. Sudfeld, 31, spent the 2021 season in San Francisco and knows the offense.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 19, 2025
The Athletic's Matt Barrows is reporting that former Lions QB Nate Sudfeld has signed with the San Francisco 49ers. The 31-year-old signal-caller previously played for the 49ers in 2021 and landed his latest contract following Monday's successful workout.
Former Lions QB Nate Sudfeld Signs with 49ers Before Preseason Finale
Sudfeld has struggled to find a permanent home throughout his NFL career, and time will tell if his stop in the Bay will be any different. After being drafted 187th overall by the then-Washington Redskins in 2016, the ex-Indiana QB has also experienced stops with the Philadelphia Eagles, 49ers, and, most recently, the Lions.
Sudfeld may have spent two seasons in the Motor City, but it's fair to say he didn't give Lions fans much to remember him for. He spent the entirety of both seasons in Jared Goff's shadow, and only appeared for two games in the 2022 campaign, which saw him handle kneeling duties at the tail end of blowout performances.
The Lions re-signed Sudfeld during the 2024 offseason; however, he didn't survive the preseason and was a part of the team's final roster cuts. Detroit had seen enough to not even bring him back on the practice squad, and the rest of the NFL clearly felt similarly, or else he wouldn't have stayed unemployed for the entire 2024 season.
It'll be interesting to see if Sudfeld has what it takes to hang with the 49ers, or if he'll be another late-August roster casualty. Brock Purdy and Mac Jones' respective QB1 and QB2 jobs are safe, but the third-stringer role is open after rookie Kurtis Rourke continues to heal from his ACL tear, leaving Sudfeld to compete with Carter Bradley for emergency quarterback duties.
Sudfeld has the experience advantage over Bradley, so it'll be up to him not to let this opportunity slip through his hands. Lions fans will be eagerly watching their former QB to see if he has what it takes to make a 53-man roster after spending a season outside of the NFL.