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A look at the 10 best backup quarterbacks in Eagles history
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- A look at the 10 best backup quarterbacks in Eagles history
A look at the 10 best backup quarterbacks in Eagles history originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
With Tanner McKee taking over for Jalen Hurts, presumably for the rest of the year, we thought it would be interesting to look back at the most successful backup quarterbacks in Eagles history.
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The only rule defining a backup for our purposes is that the quarterback was not the opening-day starter but became the starter either because the starter either got benched or injured.
We've got the best back-up in NFL history, so you know who's at the top of the list but some other pretty good backups have played for the Eagles over the years.
And don't worry. No sign of Pat Ryan, Ken O'Brien or Brad Goebel on this list.
1. Nick Foles, 2013, 2017 Foles was the Eagles' opening-day QB in 2014 and 2018, but he began 2013 backing up Michael Vick and 2017 behind Carson Wentz and both were historic seasons. Foles went 8-2 with 27 touchdown passes and two interceptions in 2013 with an NFL-leading 119.2 passer rating and played well in a wild-card loss to the Saints. In 2017, he replaced Wentz for the last few games of the regular season, then played out of his mind in the postseason, completing 72 percent of his passes with six TDs, one INT that wasn't his fault and a 115.7 passer rating, culminating in a Super Bowl win and Super Bowl MVP. The greatest backup QB ever.
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2. Jeff Garcia, 2006Donovan McNabb tore his ACL and meniscus in his right knee in a Week 11 loss to the Titans at the Linc and missed the rest of the season. Garcia, who had made three Pro Bowls with the 49ers, took over and went 5-1 in six starts to rally the 5-5 Eagles to a 10-6 record and playoff berth. Garcia quarterbacked the Eagles to a wild-card win over the Giants and played well in a conference semifinal loss to the Saints at the Superdome, finishing his Eagles career with 12 TDs and just two INTs.
3. Michael Vick in 2010
Kevin Kolbgot the opening-day start against the Packers at the Linc in 2010 but suffered a concussion on a hit by Clay Matthews and was replaced by Michael Vick, who hadn't played significant snaps since 2006. Kolb wound up starting a few games after Vick suffered a rib injury against Washington, but Vick was terrific all year when he played, going 8-3 with 21 touchdowns, six interceptions, a passer rating above 100 along with nearly 700 yards and nine TDs rushing and an NFL-best 6.8 rushing average. Vick took the Eagles to the playoffs but with the Eagles down five points with a 1st-and-10 on the Packers' 27-yard-line in the final minute threw a costly interception, ending the Eagles' season.
4. Rodney Peete in 1995When Ray Rhodes benched Randall Cunningham after a Week 4 loss to the Raiders in Oakland, Peete took over and went 9-3 in 12 starts, taking the Eagles to the playoffs. In a wild-card game at the Vet, Peete had the game of his life, completing 68 percent of his passes for 270 yards with three touchdowns – only five fewer than he threw in the regular season – and a 143.3 passer rating that remains the highest in Eagles history in a playoff game. The Eagles won 58-37 in what was at the time the highest-scoring playoff game ever. Peete suffered a concussion on a hit by Cowboys linebacker Robert Jones a week later and Cunningham struggled badly in his final appearance in an Eagles uniform in the Eagles' 30-11 loss at Texas Stadium.
5. A.J. Feeley in 2002
Feeley was the 3rd-stringer in 2002 when McNabb suffered a broken ankle on the first series of a game against the Cards at the Vet when he was sacked by LeVar Woods and Adrian Wilson. Koy Detmer was No. 2 and initially replaced McNabb the next week in a game against the 49ers at Candlestick Park, but when Detmer suffered a dislocated elbow on a hit by Chike Okeafor, Feeley took over and immediately threw a touchdown pass to Chad Lewis and the Eagles wound up winning 38-17. Feeley then went 4-1 to finish the regular season, including road wins in Seattle and Dallas, and the Eagles finished 12-4. McNabb came back for the playoffs and beat the Falcons to send the Eagles to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Bucs.
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6. Ty Detmer in 1996After he played well in 1995 and with Cunningham gone, Peete was the opening-day starter in 1996. But he suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon in his right knee in a Week 5 Monday night game against the Cowboys at the Vet and was replaced by Detmer in his first year with the Eagles. Detmer won his first four starts and leveled off a bit after that but still went 7-4 as a starter, getting the Eagles into the playoffs. In a wild-card loss to the 49ers at Candlestick, he threw two interceptions with the Eagles inside the Niners' 10-yard-line and was benched for one-time Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien. The Eagles lost 14-0, the only time they've been shutout in the postseason.
7. Jim McMahon in 1991In 1990, five years they won a Super Bowl together with the Bears, Buddy Ryan brought Jim McMahon to Philly to back up Randall Cunningham. Ryan was fired after the season and replaced by Rich Kotite, but McMahon remained in Philly and when Cunningham tore his ACL early in the 1991 opener at Lambeau Field on a cheap shot by Bryce Paup McMahon took over and beat the Packers and then went 8-3 in 11 starts before injuries ended his season, leaving Jeff Kemp as the starter the last couple games. McMahon played one more season with the Eagles, winning his only start, before finishing his 15-year career with the Vikings, Cards and Packers.
8. Bubby Brister in 1993After seven years with the Steelers, Brister signed with the Eagles in 1993 and when Randall Cunningham broke his leg during a Week 5 game against the Jets at the Meadowlands, Brister took over. He started the next two games before missing four games with an ankle injury. Ken O'Brien started those games, but Brister returned and went 4-2 the rest of the season. He finished with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions, and his one interception every 62 attempts set a franchise record.
9. Mark Sanchez in 2014Nick Foles' season ended in Week 9 in Houston when he broke his left collarbone while being sacked by Whitney Mercilus. Sanchez, the former Jet, went 4-4 the rest of the year with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his eight starts and a career-best 88.4 passer rating. Sanchez played four more seasons with four different teams, but his four wins in 2014 were the last wins of his career.
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10. Jalen Hurts in 2020
When Carson Wentz's struggles continued in the first half of a Week 13 loss to the Packers at Lambeau, Doug Pederson turned to his rookie 2nd-round pick, who only won one of four starts the rest of the year but did some promising things, throwing six touchdowns and rushing for three more. His 847 passing yards in his first three starts were 4th-most ever by a rookie quarterback in his first three starts and his 238 rushing yards were 2nd-most ever. He became only the 7th rookie QB ever to average at least 7 yards per pass attempt and 5 yards per rushing attempt.
