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In addition to signing a free agent wide receiver, the Philadelphia Eagles are also expected to add quarterback Joe Callahan to their roster. This report comes from NFL insider Mike Garafolo:
Eagles expected to sign QB Joe Callahan, source says. The Absecon (NJ) native was waived by the Packers on Monday. Eagles also explored signing JT Barrett before he signed with the Saints. With Carson Wentz iffy for the preseason, Callahan could get plenty of reps.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 2, 2018
The 24-year-old Callahan measures in at 6-1, 216 pounds. He attended Division III Wesley College in Dover, Delaware.
Here’s what our friends over at Acme Packing Company wrote about the release of Callahan earlier this week.
Callahan was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Division III Wesley College following the 2016 draft. That fall, he played most of the snaps during the preseason at quarterback due to Aaron Rodgers sitting out and Brett Hundley nursing an injury. He made the opening-week 53-man roster as a rookie, but was waived and claimed by the New Orleans Saints a few weeks later. After stops in the Bayou and in Cleveland, Callahan returned to the Packers’ practice squad late that season.
In 2017, Callahan fought with Taysom Hill for the #3 job, again behind Rodgers and Hundley, seemingly losing that battle. However, both he and Hill were released at the end of camp, and this time it was Hill who landed with the Saints on waivers. Callahan returned to the Packers’ practice squad once again before being elevated to the active roster as Hundley’s backup when Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone.
Following the Packers’ trade for DeShone Kizer this offseason, Callahan received a league-minimum salary on an exclusive-rights free agent tender as the team’s fourth quarterback. However, the team’s impending agreement with undrafted rookie Tim Boyle from Eastern Kentucky made Callahan expendable.
The Eagles already have the best quarterback room in the NFL with Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, and Nate Sudfeld. As Garafolo notes, however, Philadelphia is in need of an extra camp arm with Wentz expected to miss a good portion of offseason practices as he recovers from an ACL injury. It’s unclear exactly when Wentz will be able to return to action but we do know he’ll miss the team’s entire spring practice schedule at least.
Callahan is basically here to eat up some practice reps just like Dane Evans did for the Eagles last offseason.