Get To Know The Philadelphia Eagles’ Newest Quarterback
The Philadelphia Eagles recently announced the signing of quarterback Ian Book. What kind of experience does he have and why did the Eagles add another quarterback?
College Career
Ian Book was born in El Dorado Hills, California and played his college football at Notre Dame. He redshirted the 2016 season but got playing time as a freshman in 2017. Book appeared in 10 games as a freshman but mostly as a backup. He helped lead Notre Dame to a Citrus Bowl win.
Book won the starting job in 2018 as a sophomore. He had a breakout performance in the win against the seventh ranked Stanford Cardinals. Book threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns in the game. Notre Dame finished the year 12-0 and clinched a spot in the college football playoff. Book and the Irish lost to Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers 30-3. Ian Book was just 17 of 34 in the game for 16 yards and one interception.
As a junior, Book had his most productive season. He recorded 3,034 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also added in 546 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Notre Dame finished the season at 11-2 with losses to Georgia and Michigan. Book had a solid performance in his team’s bowl win over Iowa State. He was 20 of 28 for 247 yards and one touchdown.
Ian Book came back for a fifth season in 2020. He became Notre Dame’s winningest quarterback and second all-time for passing yards and touchdown passes in program history. In 2020, Book threw for nearly 3,000 yards and rushed for almost 500 yards as he got Notre Dame into the college football playoff. They lost to Alabama who went on to win the championship. Book’s 2020 performance earned him third team all ACC honors for the season.
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NFL Career
Ian Book was one of Notre Dame’s best quarterbacks in program history but was not expected to be top talent in the 2021 draft. He was a projected late round pick due to his smaller size and arm strength. He did get noticed for his leadership skills, the ability to move around the pocket, and his speed. Book ended up going sooner than expected as a fourth-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints.
As a rookie in 2021, Book made one start for the Saints. He was 12 of 20 passing the ball for 135 yards and two interceptions in the team’s 20-3 loss to the Dolphins. Book entered the 2022 season fourth on the Saints’ depth chart behind Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, and Taysom Hill.
Book had a decent preseason and had his best performance in the final game. He went 11 of 15 for 81 passing yards, one touchdown pass, and 50 rushing yards. This was an improvement over the first couple of preseason games where he had an interception in each one. The Saints did not need four quarterbacks so ultimately waived Ian Book who was quickly claimed by the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Situation
The Eagles are set at quarterback with Jalen Hurts as the starter and Gardner Minshew as the backup. Both performed well enough last year and this summer to prove themselves at the top of the depth chart. The real question for the Eagles was if the team wanted to carry a third QB or not.
The Eagles had Reid Sinnett returning for a second year in Philadelphia and added Nevada quarterback Carson Strong as an undrafted free agent. Sinnett was the better of the two this summer and was selected to the practice squad while Strong was cut. It seemed the Eagles were going to go with just two quarterbacks until the signing of Book.
Ian Book is a low-risk pickup for the Eagles. He has a similar playing style as Jalen Hurts which could help his development. Book is better and more experienced than fourth string QB Reid Sinnitt. And Book could potentially be elevated to the backup spot in 2023 as Gardner Minshew’s contract will expire at the end of this season.
In Conclusion
The Eagles did not need another quarterback, but the position is the most important in football. Ian Book offers the Eagles some positive traits and could possibly be developed into a second string quarterback for 2023 and beyond.
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