Former New York Jets draft pick Christian Hackenberg has signed a deal with the Eagles as he tries to continue his NFL career.
The Philadephia Eagles won their first ever Super Bowl last season, and are taking steps towards retaining it. Re-sign Alshon Jeffrey Check. Work Carson Wentz back from injury? Check. Extend Doug Pederson’s contract? Check.
Sign a quarterback who was so bad the pre-Sam Darnold New York Jets wouldn’t play him? Ummm… check. Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports on Twitter that the Eagles have signed Christian Hackenberg to a contract.
The #Eagles are signing QB Christian Hackenberg, source said. Not a reflection on health of Wentz/Foles or anything else — just a chance to try developing another QB with talent, as they have with Nate Sudfeld.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 12, 2018
Pelissero adds that it isn’t an injury concern that prompted this signing, but rather the team felt that Hackenberg had room to develop. Once again he was so bad that a Jets team that kept Geno Smith around for four seasons didn’t trust him to get on the field in even mop-up duty.
Hackenberg was traded to the Oakland Raiders in May for a conditional seventh-round pick, which the Jets won’t get since he was waived three weeks later.
The trade ended a two-year tenure with the Jets in which Hackenberg recorded zero games and two reporters hit with passes (per Connor Hughes of NJ.com). No, you did not read that wrong, nor was it a typo. It happened twice.
There’s a reason the Jets had the quarterback glued to the bench. To quote my grandfather “he couldn’t hit a cow in the ass with a banjo.” I’m not totally sure what that means, nor why one would have any desire to do that, but it certainly applies with Hackenberg.
If the key to winning Super Bowls is signing former Jets’ busts than Mark Sanchez might just have a future in the league. As does Calvin Pryor. And Geno Smith. And Stephen Hill. Jace Amaro could get a call as well.
At least it’ll be different with Sam Darnold. Right?
