Getty The Eagles could pursue Jets QB Zach Wilson.
The Philadelphia Eagles could be looking at a new backup quarterback.
As proposed by former Eagles tackle and current analyst Barrett Brooks of Jakib Sports, Philadelphia could pursue New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson as he tries to “resurrect” his career. The former No. 2 overall draft pick lost his starting job with the Jets to Mike White due to poor performance before regaining it due to White’s recent rib injury.
However, Wilson has lost each of his last two starts and was recently benched in favor of third-string quarterback Chris Streveler during the team’s recent loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I could see the Eagles bringing him in and trying to resurrect his career,” said Brooks.
Wilson Has Drastically Struggled During First 2 Seasons
The 23-year-old Wilson has ranked as the least-efficient passer over the course of his first two seasons in the league. He has ranked last in passer rating over his first two years, a first-time feat since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, as noted by Douglas Clawson of CBS Sports.
As Clawson further notes, he also has the fewest career touchdown passes among quarterbacks through 20 starts, in addition to a couple other dubious marks.
“Wilson has started 20 games up to this point in his career and he has several low benchmarks among active quarterbacks,” says Clawson. “He has the fewest career touchdown passes (13) of any active QB through 20 career starts. He’s never thrown for more than two touchdown passes in a game. He’s the first QB to do that through 20 starts since Carson Wentz. He has the second-lowest completion percentage (55.6%) among any active QB through 20 career starts, ahead of only Blaine Gabbert.”
Jets Expected to Move on From Wilson
As reported by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer on Saturday, December 24, the Jets are expected to move on from their former top draft pick in the offseason.
“They’ve lost all confidence in Zach Wilson,” said Glazer. “Zach lost confidence in himself going into that last game. Came out with even less confidence. Expect the Jets to move on from him after this season.”
The Eagles’ current backup is Gardner Minshew, who started the team’s Week 16 loss versus the Dallas Cowboys. Minshew was respectable in his first start of the season, going 24-for-40 for 355 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 40-34 loss. However, four turnovers by the Eagles — including two during the final several minutes of the fourth quarter — ended up costing them.
Minshew has spent the past two seasons as the Eagles’ backup quarterback, starting three games during his tenure in Philadelphia. However, he could be looking at his final season in an Eagles uniform as he enters free agency. The 26-year-old has 23 career starts to his name, having previously served as a starter with the Jaguars.
If Minshew decides to sign elsewhere for an opportunity at a starting job, Wilson could become an option for the Eagles. The second-year Jets quarterback possesses solid mobility and is well-noted for his strong arm. However, he has had difficulty completing basic passes, leading the league in highest off-target percentage among all 33 qualifying quarterbacks this season.
Considering the Eagles’ heavy reliance on play-action concepts, Wilson could have a chance to develop as Jalen Hurts’ backup over the next couple of years. If Philadelphia is willing to take a risk on Wilson, they could working out a trade with the Jets for the struggling quarterback.
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