Getty Eagles QB Joe Flacco signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million to back up Jalen Hurts.
The Philadelphia Eagles traded for veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew on Saturday. They released third-stringer Nick Mullens to make room for him.
Jalen Hurts remains the starter in Philly but the move certainly shakes up the depth chart behind the dual-threat quarterback. Joe Flacco is penciled in as the backup, for now.
The one-time Super Bowl MVP has survived an up-and-down preseason where he’s done just enough to keep the job. Flacco went 13-of-16 for 188 yards and two touchdowns on Friday night.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Minshew will take over the third-string spot on the depth chart. The Eagles love to “collect and develop talent” at the position, leading Howie Roseman to refer to the franchise as the “QB Factory” last offseason.
“For better or worse, we are quarterback developers,” the general manager told reporters last April. “We want to be a quarterback factory. When we make these kinds of decisions, we always go to our principles and who we are and what we believe in, and right or wrong, this is who we are.”
The latest Eagles news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Eagles newsletter here!
Minshew Replaces Mullens on Depth Chart
Mullens went 10-of-14 for 98 yards in the third preseason game versus New York. It marked the end of a dismal training camp for the fourth-year player out of Southern Miss. Minshew will take over his spot while pushing Flacco for the backup job.
Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro took a crack at evaluating Minshew’s role moving forward. He wrote the following:
With Minshew on board, the Eagles have three quarterbacks who have won at the NFL level. Minshew is a fast decision-maker who has some mobility, a good arm, and toughness. He was a team leader in Jacksonville during a transition period for the Jaguars in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The Minshew trade appears to be a win-win for the Eagles. Maybe not so much for Jacksonville. It’s also interesting to point out that former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell now serves as a personnel executive for the Eagles. He surely had some input on this move.
Final Roster Cuts Slated For Aug. 31
The Eagles must trim their roster to 53 players by Tuesday (Aug. 31), down from the 80 guys currently owning spots. Three of those are now allotted for quarterbacks.
There are question marks all over the roster, but none more pressing than at the wide receiver position. DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor are entrenched as the starters, with Greg Ward manning the slot. Quez Watkins has locked up a spot after a stellar camp. Travis Fulgham would be the fifth.
Would the Eagles keep six receivers? J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has enjoyed a decent camp and may have earned one more season in midnight green following a strong showing in the preseason finale. He finished with two catches for 57 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown. The John Hightower experiment is over.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside’s 42-yard TD is his longest reception in an Eagles uniform, preseason or regular season. His 57 receiving yards are his most since he went 8 catches and 104 yards in third preseason game vs. BAL in 2019.
That decision and 27 other tough choices lay ahead for new head coach Nick Sirianni. He had already vowed to meet with each player he cuts face-to-face.
“There are a lot of things about my job that are tough, so the focus, I don’t let it weigh on me,” Sirianni said. “When they come in, I want to have a good thought of what I want to say, what they need to work on to help them stick somewhere else, what we need to perfect in their craft.”
Nick Sirianni and the Eagles have some tough decisions to make with more roster cuts due by Tuesday
Tonight vs the Patriots will be the last opportunity for some