Philadelphia Eagles: Reid Sinnett stakes his claim against the Jets

It’s no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles view themselves as a “quarterback factory” nearly every season. They sign, draft or trade for a young developmental quarterback to add into the fold each year. The organization appears to be on a never-ending hunt to develop signal callers to be quality backups, trade bait, or even potential starters.

After the team gave UDFA and former Nevada quarterback Carson Strong a hefty signing bonus, assumptions were that he would have the inside track to the QB3 job; however, Reid Sinnett has since taken over. A few reporters that are around the team have lauded Sinnett’s development and performance in training camp. Quarterback coach Brian Johnson has commented on the progression of his footwork and understanding of the offense.

Throughout training camp and the preseason, The Eagles’ head coach, Nick Sirianni, has heaped praise on the 25-year-old quarterback. After claiming him off of waivers in late October, The Eagles stashed him on the roster as their third-string quarterback; even though he didn’t take a snap in the 2021 campaign, he gained valuable experience watching and learning.

The Philadelphia Eagles are hoping the next member of the quarterback factory is Reid Sinnett.

As a reward for spending ten months in this offensive system and developing according to plan, Sinnett earned all of the playing time in the second half of the preseason opener. For the night, he completed nine of his 17 attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown. The stat line might not blow you away, but they truly don’t tell you the whole story of his performance.

He started the game 3-7 for 30 yards and took three sacks; he looked nervous in the pocket and threw a few balls that had no chance of being completed. The Eagles relied heavily on a run game that just couldn’t get momentum. As a result, The Eagles relinquished the lead with just over eight minutes left to play. Something must have clicked in Sinnett’s head when The Jets went up 17-14 because he came back onto the field a totally different QB.

After a holding penalty set them back early in the drive, Sinnett was looking at a 3rd &12. He answered with a strike to Deon Cain for a gain of 14 yards, moving the chains. From there, Sinnett got hot and led the team down the field on an 18-play, 75-yard drive that burned six and a half minutes off the clock and ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back Kennedy Brooks, reclaiming a 21-17 lead with 1:40 left to play. On the drive, he completed six of his 10 attempts for 51 yards and a touchdown, showing the poise a quarterback needs in a high-pressure situation.

As the old adage goes, “It’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish.” Sinnett embodied that mentality and worked through a tough start to his night, earning his keep as the third-string QB of the Philadelphia Eagles.