With questions at quarterback, the Eagles are bringing back a familiar face — NBC Sports Philadelphia

On December 27, 2024By Littum

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

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

Book, the Saints’ 2021 4th round pick, was claimed off waivers by the Eagles on August 31, 2022 and spent the entire 2022 season on the active roster. He dressed twice but never entered a match.

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

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

Book’s only regular-season NFL 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 very productive college career,” Nick Sirianni said Thursday. “We had an opportunity to get him after he 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 (stepped up) and played well, but yeah, I really liked him. I like the person and I like the player. He played good football for us in the pre-season (in 2023) and is so familiar with some with many things (he can do).

NFL rules allow practice squad quarterbacks to serve as the third quarterback if they are 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 played in a game with the Eagles, although Castro-Fields played in two games this year with the Panthers .