PHILADELPHIA -- After Nate Sudfeld joined the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad over the weekend, several fans and reporters were quick to point out the quarterback's familiarity with the Birds' first opponent.

As it turns out, he knows plenty of key figures on his new team, too.

Sudfeld spent his 2016 rookie year and all of this offseason playing with the Redskins, whom the Eagles will square off against in Sunday's opener. But while meeting Philadelphia-area reporters in the locker room Monday, Sudfeld said his knowledge of Washington's offense won't serve as a defining factor of the Week 1 NFC East bout.

Instead, he said he thought the Eagles signed him to their 10-member practice squad because they believed in him as a quarterback who could contribute in the NFL. And Sudfeld felt that way in part because he developed a relationship with head coach Doug Pederson, offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo during the pre-draft process in 2016.

After the Eagles moved up to take Carson Wentz No. 2 overall that year and Washington nabbed Sudfeld in the sixth round, Philly's coaches reached out to encourage the signal-caller.

"I got to know them pretty well in the draft process, and then, obviously, they drafted Carson, but they still texted me and said, 'Hey, we feel like you're going to have a great career,'" Sudfeld said. "They always kind of seemed to be interested."

That appealed to the former Indiana quarterback -- and now, Sudfeld's helping the Eagles as practice squad member.

Sudfeld threw for 7,879 yards in four seasons with the Hoosiers and showcased promise in preseason action with the Redskins. Though Washington chose not to keep Sudfeld after he completed 22 of 33 passes in exhibitions this summer, the team did offer him a spot on their practice squad.

But he spurned the team that drafted him in favor of a division rival.

Wentz is the clear-cut starter in Philadelphia and the face of the franchise, while Nick Foles stands as a experienced and capable backup. Foles said Monday he feels healthy after battling elbow soreness throughout the preseason, and he expects to be ready if needed for Sunday's game against the Redskins.

Sudfeld, meanwhile, is now the No. 3 signal-caller in the building. He's not eligible to play for the Birds while on the practice squad (and he added that he didn't consider Foles' elbow injury when signing with Philly), but he'd be in position to join the active roster if Foles or Wentz missed significant time.

While he waits for an opportunity, Sudfeld can aim to sharpen his game under a coaching staff he's already connected with -- and a group of tutors rife with quarterbacking experience. Pederson and Reich played the position in the NFL, while DeFilippo started under center for James Madison in the 1990s.

"It's a great spot for me to develop and continue to get reps and improve as a player," Sudfeld said of the Eagles. "I tried to look at the future to see what's going to make me the best football player in the long run."

Sudfeld doesn't just have a relationship with the Birds' coaches, though. He also got to know Foles a bit when he committed to Arizona as a high schooler and Foles was starring for the Wildcats on the field (Sudfeld later flipped his commitment to Indiana after a coach on the staff bolted to join the Hoosiers).

And Wentz and Sudfeld struck up a brief friendship while going through the combine and other pre-draft events together in 2016.

So, when Sudfeld arrived in Philadelphia, he already knew the coaches who would be mentoring him and the quarterbacks who would be playing alongside him. Sunday, he'll watch as those guys head to FedEx Field to try and upend his old team.

-- @AaronKazreports