The NFL was rocked on Saturday night with the stunning news that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was retiring. The decision is one that will be discussed for years and will a major impact on the league not only this season but going forward as well.
It could also end up impacting the Eagles' depth chart at quarterback.
In the immediate aftermath of Luck's decision to retire the Colts threw their support behind Jacoby Brissett, the current backup. Brissett has started for the Colts before, so it is entirely possible they are indeed ready to hand the team over to him and see where he can take them.
Even if they do go with Brissett, however, it is safe to say they will be in the market for a backup, and it wouldn't be surprising at all if they called the Eagles about Nate Sudfeld.
The Colts have shown interest in Sudfeld before, trying to take him off the Eagles' practice squad in 2017, forcing the team to promote him to active roster. The Colts tried to land Sudfeld in November of 2017 after they already had Brissett, who was acquired two months earlier and started that season.
If the Colts still like Sudfeld and call the Eagles it will be interesting to see how Howie Roseman responds. The Eagles have insisted they still like Sudfeld despite their decision to sign Josh McCown and hand him $2 million in guarantees. McCown had a stellar first game for the Eagles last Thursday, throwing for two touchdowns just four days after signing with the team. It is hard to imagine any other scenario than McCown being the first off the bench if Carson Wentz were to go down.
Assuming that is the case that would leave Sudfeld and his $3 million salary as the No. 3 quarterback, a hefty price for a player that could be inactive all season. Moving on from Sudfeld would not only open up salary cap space, but it would also allow the Eagles to keep Clayton Thorson on their 53-man roster and avoid putting him through waivers or carrying four quarterbacks.
Sudfeld is also a free agent at the end of this season and will be free to walk to a team that will give him a chance at a starting job. That won't be happening in Philadelphia, but it would be in Indianapolis, where his former offensive coordinator — Frank Reich — is now the head coach.
Whether the Eagles are willing to deal Sudfeld will likely, as is the case with most deals, come down to what the Colts are willing to offer. If the Eagles hold onto Sudfeld and he signs a deal this upcoming offseason with another team the Eagles would net a compensatory pick for him. What that pick will be is hard to project, but the Eagles likely have some idea, and won't accept less than that from the Colts. There is also the fact that if Wentz were to go down with a long-term injury, Sudfeld would be the backup to McCown, a valuable role on a team with a Super Bowl caliber roster.
What will happen remains to be seen, but Roseman has a history of capitalizing on stunning quarterback news during training camp. In 2016, when then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a serious leg injury, Roseman dealt Sam Bradford to the Vikings for a first-round pick.
Sudfeld won't net a first, but with the stunning news of Lucks' retirement, we are about to find out just how much the Eagles actually do still like Sudfeld if the Colts come calling.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
