With questions at quarterback, Eagles bring back a familiar face

With Jalen Hurts in concussion protocol and Kenny Pickett dealing with a rib injury, the Eagles on Thursday re-signed quarterback Ian Book.

The Eagles signed Book to their practice squad as an emergency QB behind Hurts, Pickett and Tanner McKee.

Book, the Saints’ 4th-round pick in 2021, was a waiver claim by the Eagles on Aug. 31, 2022, and spent the entire 2022 season on the active roster. He dressed out twice but never got into a game.

They released him at the end of 2023 training camp after he was outplayed by McKee.

Book, 26, went on to spend time on the Patriots’ practice squad and was with the Chiefs this past summer in training camp.

Book’s only NFL regular-season playing time came in 2021 with the Saints. In a late-season start against the Dolphins, he went 12-for-20 for 135 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Book went 30-5 in 35 starts at Notre Dame, where he holds the school record for most career wins by a quarterback.

“Obviously, highly productive college career,” Nick Sirianni said Thursday. “We had an opportunity to get him after he had played a little bit in New Orleans. We really enjoyed our time with him when he was here and had some high hopes for him. 

“Obviously, we didn’t keep him around but that was (because) other guys (were) stepping up and playing good, but yeah I really liked him. I like the person and I like the player. He played good football for us in the preseason (in 2023) and so familiar with some with a lot of things (he can do).”

NFL rules allow practice squad quarterbacks to serve as the third quarterback if they’re one of the two game-day elevations but not as the emergency third quarterback.

The Eagles also released running back Lew Nichols and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields from the practice squad. Nichols was a 7th-round pick of the Packers in 2023, and Castro-Fields was a 6th-round pick of the 49ers in 2022. Neither has ever gotten into a game with the Eagles, although Castro-Fields played in two games this year with the Panthers.

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