San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nate Sudfeld (7) throws a pass during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nate Sudfeld (7) throws a pass during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
SANTA CLARA – Nate Sudfeld rejoined the 49ers’ quarterback ranks Tuesday, three years after Brock Purdy beat him out as a rookie for the No. 3 role and an unexpected ascent to the franchise’s throne.
In a corresponding move before practice, running back Patrick Taylor Jr. was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve because of a dislocated shoulder in Saturday’s preseason win at Las Vegas.
Sudfeld is the fourth quarterback available for Saturday’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, with Mac Jones and Carter Bradley still slinging it alongside Purdy.
Sudfeld was brought in Monday to throw to three wide receivers who were auditioning as free agents.
Sudfeld spent 2021 with the 49ers, mostly on the practice squad and he was brough back for $2 million guaranteed in 2022 as a potential backup to Trey Lance, with Jimmy Garoppolo expected to get traded. However, Garoppolo’s rehabilitation from shoulder surgery complicated the depth chart, and Purdy impressed coach Kyle Shanahan enough to push Sudfeld off the roster.
Sudfeld, 31, latched on with the Detroit Lions and tore his anterior cruciate ligament two years ago. He was out of the NFL last season after failing to make the Lions’ roster after the preseason.
Taylor is the first 49ers’ running back to go on Injured Reserve but he is not the first with health issues. Isaac Guerendo (shoulder), Jordan James (knee, finger) and Corey Kiner (high-ankle sprain) have all sustained injuries that have shelved them, and prompted the 49ers to sign Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Jeff Wilson Jr.
Come Saturday, the 49ers will host Lance and the Jim Harbaugh-coached Los Angeles Chargers.
Tuesday marked the 49ers’ first practice on their training fields in a week, having held a joint session Thursday at the Las Vegas Raiders’ facility before Jake Moody’s kick-off win over them Saturday.
Originally Published: August 19, 2025 at 7:47 AM PDT
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