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Detroit Lions release ex-Eagles backup QB made famous by Doug Pederson

The Detroit Lions made a roster change on Tuesday that is likely to bring back hilarious memories for Eagles fans.

Remember Nate Sudfeld? The former Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback is still active in the league. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, he was one of the Lions' numerous roster moves on NFL Cut-Down Day.

Sudfeld was a household name in Philadelphia for a while after Doug Pederson cheated NFC East rivals New York Giants out of a potential playoff spot in the final game of the 2020 regular season.

To set the scene, the Giants were trying to win the NFC East with six wins this year. They had “settled” earlier that day against the Andy Dalton-led Dallas Cowboys. If the Eagles – who entered the game with a record of 4-10-1 – could beat the 6-9 Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football, the Giants would clinch the division title. With a record of 6-10.

What happened next will go down in history as one of the NFL's most bitter rivalries.

While playing the season with then-rookie QB Jalen Hurts, Pederson made a coaching decision that not only drew the ire of Giants fans, but ultimately led to his firing about a week later. With the Eagles trailing 17-14 by a field goal with 12:35 left in the fourth quarter, Pederson made a mysterious change at the quarterback position – benching the future of the franchise and putting in a certain Nate Sudfeld.

Just watch Pederson try to explain the decision after the game without laughing. He could barely contain himself:

The rest is history. Sudfeld's first series ended in an interception. His second series, which began after a Washington turnover at Philadelphia's 41-yard line, ended in a Sudfeld fumble. The career backup, who has never started an NFL game, was also sacked twice and finished with a QB rating of 14.6.

The Eagles lost the game 20-14. Washington – not the Giants – won the NFC East division title with a score of 7-9. Eight days later, on January 11, 2021, Pederson was fired as head coach of the Eagles.

The head coach who won Super Bowl LII, the first in Eagles history, will be remembered in more ways than one – especially if Sudfeld's name appears in the NFL's transaction log.

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