One of the best backups in NFL history defended the Philadelphia Eagles for giving Nate Sudfeld an opportunity to play in Week 17, which differs from the chorus of critics.
Kurt Warner, who came from the Arena Football League, played in NFL Europe in 1998 and won NFL MVP a year later. He shared just how valuable it was for him to throw 11 passes in the Rams’ final game of the 1998 season.
1998 last game of year @RamsNFL w/ nothing to play for… I was brought in & threw 11 passes… seems like nothing, but those 11 passes have me confidence & convinced me I could play at NFL level… next year: I became starter and we won the SB! Things that make u say Hmm??
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) January 5, 2021
Warner went against the narrative that the Eagles were doing something wrong by playing Sudfeld in the fourth quarter of their game against Washington.
It’s ok for a winning team to sit starters and not do EVERYTHING they can to win that game, bc they have future in mind… BUT if future is next season it’s NOT ok? But just bc you aren’t playing best at each position does it mean “in game” you aren’t playing/coaching to win?
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) January 5, 2021
Warner also made the argument that Sudfeld deserved the chance to have some playing time in Week 17.
How does #NateSudfield feel when another coach says putting him in = disrespecting game!! Did he not put in 17 weeks of work, following all protocols & busted his butt like every1 else… yet God forbid he gets a chance to play in “meaningless” game… just so easy to see 1 side!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) January 5, 2021
Warner offers some great points and argues the other side quite well. The issue is it wasn’t a meaningless game; there were playoff implications. The rest of the Eagles players all were busting their rears. And you could argue that Doug Pederson and the Eagles owed it to their players and the rest of the NFL to give it their best shot at winning. If the Eagles felt Sudfeld gave them a better chance of winning than Jalen Hurts, then Sudfeld would have been starting over a month ago.
The timing of the quarterback switch did not dictate a change. Philly was only down by three. And by the same argument, did Hurts not deserve the opportunity to see if he could pull off a comeback? These are all reasons why some players reportedly had to be restrained from going after Pederson.
Photo: John Trainor/Flickr via CC-BY-SA 2.0
