Eagles Sign Former AAF Starting Quarterback Luis Perez

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Eagles have made it clear that they want to continue to bring in young quarterbacks to develop and compete with Nate Sudfeld for the backup role at quarterback. With many of their 2019 draft picks in the later rounds traded away, the Birds would have to take a QB high or look on the open market to do that.

The team appears to have found a match on the market in former AAF Birmingham Iron starting quarterback Luis Perez.

Adam Caplan of the Inside the Birds podcast was the first to report the signing.

#Eagles are signing former AAF QB Luis Perez to a 1-year deal, source said.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) April 9, 2019

Perez was certainly not the top performing quarterback in the AAF. A 52.3 percent completion percentage for 1,460 yards isn’t great. A five-to-six touchdown-to-interception ratios certainly doesn’t help. He still has talent that the team hopes to unlock, however and his presence in the quarterback room should only help the locker room culture.

Just listen to what Peter Shrager said of the young quarterback on Good Morning Football when Perez was in a battle for a roster sport with the LA Rams this past offseason.

He's bowled 12 perfect games, didn't play QB in high school, and was the 9th out of 9 quarterbacks on the depth chart at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA. So how is @PerezLuisQB still hanging around on the @RamsNFL roster? @PSchrags tells the rookie's incredible story. pic.twitter.com/384Z0hPuvz

— GMFB (@gmfb) August 15, 2018

Perez did see a few snaps after the above video was released and ended up completing just eight passes on 15 attempts in the preseason. He totaled 43 yards and threw an interception prior to be released.

Perez was not expected to be the starter for the Iron when the AAF started up either, but he battled his way to earn the position and earned himself a second shot in the NFL.

At Texas A&M Commerce, Perez became the leader in completions (665), passing yards (8,325) and passing touchdowns (78) while also earning the Harlon Hill Division II Player of the Year (equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in Division II) and leading the school to a Division II Championship.

For those wondering, Division II is two levels below the FBS and one below the FCS (where Carson Wentz played). The leap from Division II to the NFL is a big one, so Perez would certainly need more time to develop than those players from the FBS or FCS levels. The reps he received in the AAF could certainly help speed that process up.

For now, the Eagles have found a third quarterback to keep around, though he may end up on the practice squad rather than the 53-man roster.