Former Indiana Football QB Nate Sudfeld Signs New NFL Contract

Nate Sudfeld, who played at Indiana from 2012-15, signed with the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, extending his NFL career.

Dec 26, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Nate Sudfeld (7) drops back to pass against the Duke Blue Devils. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — One decade removed from the last time he played for Indiana football, quarterback Nate Sudfeld has inked his latest NFL contract.

Sudfeld signed with the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, the team announced in a press release. The move arose after 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones suffered a sprained knee in San Francisco's preseason game Saturday, forcing Jones to miss the team's final exhibition game this week.

Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers' head coach, said Tuesday the team brought in Sudfeld to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Sudfeld will split time with reserve quarterback Carter Bradley and, potentially, starter Brock Purdy.

Sudfeld is now the second Indiana quarterback on the 49ers' roster, joining Kurtis Rourke, who started for the Hoosiers last season. Rourke is currently on the Non-Football Injury List (NFI) due to the torn ACL he sustained in 2024, which he played through during his lone campaign in Bloomington.

The 6-foot-6, 227-pound Sudfeld, who started 26 of his 37 appearances, is Indiana's all-time leader in passing yards (7,879) and touchdowns (61).

According to Indiana Athletics, Sudfeld also left the Hoosiers ranked first in 350-yard games (6), 300-yard games (11), 250-yard games (13), 200-yard games (19), four-touchdown games (5) and three-touchdown games (10).

The now-Washington Commanders selected Sudfeld in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, but he was inactive throughout his rookie season and released before the start of the 2017 campaign.

Sudfeld signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and made his debut in 2017, going 19-for-23 passing 134 yards in a 6-0 loss in the final game of the season. He remained in Philadelphia through 2020, though he played only three games and attempted just 14 passes.

The Modesto, Calif., native joined the 49ers in 2021, spending the first half of the season on the practice squad and the second half as Jimmy Garoppolo's backup.

San Francisco released Sudfeld before the 2022 season, but he caught on with the Detroit Lions as Jared Goff's backup. He played in two games and didn't attempt a pass. Sudfeld tore his ACL in the 2023 preseason and missed the entire year, and Detroit released him prior to the 2024 season.

Sudfeld remained unsigned until Tuesday, when the 49ers, at least for a few days, added him to their 90-man roster.

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