Former Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld suffered a torn ACL on Friday in the final 2023 NFL preseason game for the Detroit Lions. Sudfeld played for coach Kevin Wilson and the Hoosiers from 2012-15, and is Indiana football's all-time leading passer.
Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld suffered a torn ACL on Friday in the Detroit Lions' final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
Sudfeld played for coach Kevin Wilson and the Indiana Hoosiers from 2012-15, and has hung around in the NFL ever since, playing for both the Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles since 2016.
The Hoosier-made quarterback entered the preseason game for the first time in the third quarter, only to immediately fall to the turf with the devastating injury. Immediately after the game, it was not known to what extent Sudfeld had injured his knee.
But on Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed what Lions' coach Dan Campbell feared it might have been following the game — a torn ACL, effectively ending Sudfeld's 2023 season before it even got started.
“I hate that for him," coach Campbell said after the game. "That’s tough because Nate’s given us everything that he’s had. He came in last year and brought something to us. Somebody we were very comfortable with, enough to sign him back. So I hate that if that’s the way it goes here.”
Sudfeld has never started in an NFL game, but has been a quality backup and third string option at multiple stops. Between Philadelphia and Detroit, he's played in six total regular season games and thrown for 188 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 37 career pass attempts.
The former Indiana quarterback is also a Super Bowl champion, having been with the Eagles in 2017-18 when they took home the Lombardi in Super Bowl LII.
Sudfeld is the all-time leading passer in the history of Indiana football, having thrown for 7,879 yards during his time in Bloomington. He even surpassed Indiana Hoosier legend Antwaan Randle El during his final season in 2015.
Sudfeld is also the all-time leader in career passing touchdowns at Indiana, having thrown for 61 scores during his four seasons at IU. The difference between Sudfeld and No. 2 on the all-time passing touchdown leader at Indiana, Kellen Lewis, is the same as the difference between Lewis and the No. 6 all-time passing touchdown leader at IU (Steve Bradley). Sudfeld has thrown for 13 more touchdowns than any player to ever wear the Crimson and Cream.
Though coach Wilson and Sudfeld never led the Hoosiers to a winning record from 2012-15, they did reach the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl. Of course, Sudfeld and Indiana lost that bowl game against Duke 44-41 in one of the most infamous defeats in program history, as Griffin Oakes "missed" a 38-yard field goal in overtime to give the Blue Devils the win.
It's understandable if any Hoosier football fan can't stomach watching the following clip. It still looks like Oakes' kick went in, and that Indiana was robbed.
Sudfeld was not released by the Lions amidst the NFL's 53-man roster cuts, the deadline for which was 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Instead, Detroit has placed the Indiana quarterback on Injured Reserve, along with former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, who the team selected with a third round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It's a major setback for Sudfeld in what has otherwise been a decently successful NFL tenure as a journeyman quarterback since he was drafted by Washington in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
For now, the most prolific passer in the history of Indiana football will be on the sidelines in Detroit, recovering from his torn ACL as he seeks to prolong his NFL career.
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