Jacob Henry Eason (born November 17, 1997) is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington and Georgia and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jacob Eason
refer to caption
Eason with Washington in 2019
No. 9 – New York Giants
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1997-11-17) November 17, 1997 (age 26)
Lake Stevens, Washington, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:Lake Stevens (WA)
College:Georgia (2016–2017)
Washington (2018–2019)
NFL draft:2020 / Round: 4 / Pick: 122
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Passing completions:5
Passing attempts:10
TDINT:0–2
Passing yards:84
Passer rating:39.2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Eason attended Lake Stevens High School in Lake Stevens, Washington, and was rated by Rivals as a five-star recruit. He was ranked as the best pro-style quarterback and best player overall in the 2016 class. Eason committed to the University of Georgia to play college football on July 19, 2014. He transferred to the University of Washington in 2018, though he had to sit out the 2018 season because of NCAA transfer eligibility rules. After starting in 2019, Eason decided to forgo his senior season at the University of Washington and enter the NFL Draft.

Early years edit

Eason was born to Tony and Christine Eason and was raised in Lake Stevens, Washington. His father, Tony Eason, played college football at the University of Notre Dame,[1] but he should not be confused with quarterback Tony Eason who played college football at the University of Illinois and later for the New England Patriots in the 1980s.[2]

As a freshman at Lake Stevens High School, Jacob played in four games and completed 21 of 50 pass attempts (42%) for 458 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. The following year, he played in ten games and threw 350 passes, completing 209 (59.7%) of them for 2,941 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.[3] In 2014, he played in all 11 games for Lake Stevens and led them to a 9–2 record. He finished his junior year completing 197 of 287 passes (68.6%) for 2,829 yards, 32 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Rival's named him their Junior of the Year in 2014.[4] During his last season at Lake Stevens, he played in 13 games, completed 235-of-338 (69.5%) pass attempts for 3,585 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions. In his senior season he led them to a 12–1 record and took them all the way to the state semifinals against Skyline but ended up losing 34–37.[5] He finished his career at Lake Stevens completing 662 out of 1,025 pass attempts for 9,813 passing yards, 102 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions, while appearing in a total of 38 games. He was ranked as the best pro-style quarterback and best player overall in the 2016 class.[6][7]

He was rated a five-star recruit by Rivals, 247sports, and Scout. Rivals had Eason ranked as the top quarterback in the nation and as the 7th top prospect in the nation. Eason was a highly sought after recruit, receiving offers from Florida, Miami, Alabama, Colorado, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, among many others. On July 20, 2014, he committed to the University of Georgia.[8][9][10][11]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Jacob Eason
QB
Lake Stevens, WA Lake Stevens (WA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) N/A Jul 20, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 89
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

College career edit

Georgia edit

Eason enrolled early at Georgia during the spring of 2016. Although he was not named the starter going into season opener, he came in for Georgia's fourth possession against North Carolina for senior Greyson Lambert and subsequently completed 8 of 12 passes for 131 passing yards and threw his first career collegiate touchdown. #18 Georgia went on to defeat #22 North Carolina 33–24.[12] The following week, Eason earned his first career start against Nicholls State and finished completing 11 of 20 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. Eason then led Georgia to a comeback victory over Missouri after he threw the game-winning touchdown on 4th and 10 to Isaiah McKenzie with only 1:29 left in the game. He finished the game with 29/55 pass attempts for 309 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. On September 24, 2016, #12 Georgia suffered their first loss to #23 Ole Miss with Eason completing only 16 of 36 pass attempts for 137 passing yards and one interception. On October 15, 2016, Eason threw for 346 passing yards and completed 27 out of 40 pass attempts in Georgia's 16–17 loss to Vanderbilt.[13] On November 12, 2016, he helped Georgia defeat #9 Auburn after completing 20/31 pass attempts for 208 yards.[14]

Eason began the 2017 season as Georgia's starting quarterback. In the first game of the season against Appalachian State, Eason injured his knee on a late hit out of bounds.[15] Freshman Jake Fromm, the highly recruited back-up quarterback, became the starter during Eason's absence. Fromm remained the starter even after Eason's recovery,[16] and led the Bulldogs to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game.

Washington edit

Following the 2017 season, Eason announced he would leave Georgia. The decision was widely anticipated, as Eason had lost the starting job at Georgia to Fromm.[17][18] On January 9, the Seattle Times reported that Eason planned to transfer to the University of Washington, which would require that he sit out the 2018 season.[19] The transfer was officially announced on February 6.[20]

Eason won the starting job for the 2019 season. In his first start for the Huskies against Eastern Washington, he completed 27 of 36 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns as Washington won 47–14.[21] On December 26, 2019, Eason announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

College statistics edit

Season Team Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2016 Georgia 13 12 204 370 55.2 2,430 16 8 120.3 33 -45 -1.4 1
2017 Georgia 3 1 4 7 57.1 28 0 0 90.7 3 -12 -4.0 0
2019 Washington 13 13 260 405 64.2 3,132 23 8 143.9 19 3 0.2 0
Total 29 26 468 782 59.8 5,590 39 16 132.3 55 -54 -1.0 1

Professional career edit

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 5+78 in
(1.98 m)
231 lb
(105 kg)
32+78 in
(0.84 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
4.89 s 1.73 s 2.90 s 4.75 s 7.50 s 27.5 in
(0.70 m)
9 ft 2 in
(2.79 m)
23
All values from NFL Combine[22][23]

Indianapolis Colts edit

Eason was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the 122nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.[24] In 2020, he served as the third-string quarterback, behind starter Philip Rivers and backup Jacoby Brissett. He did not play during his rookie season.[25]

With the retirement of Rivers, the departure of Brissett, and the arrival of Carson Wentz, Eason came into the 2021 season competing for the backup position with rookie Sam Ehlinger; Eason eventually won the role.[26] He made his NFL debut in Week 2 of the 2021 season, appearing in relief of Wentz, who was injured toward the end of the game against the Los Angeles Rams. He completed two out of five passes for 25 yards and one interception.[27] On October 19, 2021, Eason was waived by the Colts.[28]

Seattle Seahawks edit

On October 20, 2021, the Seattle Seahawks claimed Eason off waivers.[29] He was waived on August 30, 2022.[30]

Carolina Panthers (first stint) edit

On August 31, 2022, Eason was signed to the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers.[31] He was elevated to the active roster on October 12, 2022, after Baker Mayfield suffered an injury.

He appeared in relief of P. J. Walker in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams and went 3-for-5 for 59 yards and an interception. He returned to the practice squad following the game. He was released on November 7, 2022.[32]

San Francisco 49ers edit

On November 14, 2022, he worked out with the San Francisco 49ers, signing with the team's practice squad the next day.[33] He was released on January 3, 2023.[34]

Carolina Panthers (second stint) edit

On January 24, 2023, Eason signed a reserve/future deal with the Panthers.[35] He was waived on May 18, 2023.[36]

New York Giants edit

On November 7, 2023, Eason was signed to the New York Giants practice squad.[37] He was released on December 4, 2023.[38] Eason was re-signed to the practice squad on January 4, 2024, then signed to the active roster two days later.[39][40]

NFL career statistics edit

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2020 IND 0 0 DNP
2021 IND 1 0 2 5 40.0 25 5.0 0 1 16.7 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
SEA 0 0 DNP
2022 CAR 1 0 3 5 60.0 59 11.8 0 1 61.7 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 2 0 5 10 50.0 84 8.4 0 2 39.2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0

References edit

  1. ^ Larkin, Jack (October 16, 2019). "Eason Fired Up To Be Playing Back Home In Washington". Washington Huskies. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  2. ^ Arnold, Keith (June 2, 2014). "Irish offer legacy QB Jacob Eason". NBCSports.com. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  3. ^ Baumgardner, Nick (June 1, 2014). "Michigan's QB offer barrage continues: 2016 5-star pocket passer Jacob Eason the latest target". mlive.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Gorney, Adam (February 2, 2015). "Rivals.com - Junior of the Year: Five-star QB Jacob Eason". n.rivals.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "MaxPreps Player Profile: Jacob Reason". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Jacob Eason, 2016 Pro Style Quarterback, Georgia". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  7. ^ "Lake Stevens QB Jacob Eason takes steps to become the best". The Seattle Times. September 1, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  8. ^ "Rivals.com: Prospect 307". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  9. ^ McLaughlin, Brian (April 15, 2015). "Get to know: Jacob Eason is Georgia's top-rated QB since Matt Stafford". Sporting News. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  10. ^ Krueger, David (July 19, 2014). "Lake Stevens QB Jacob Eason commits to Georgia". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  11. ^ Krueger, David (July 22, 2014). "Lake Stevens QB Eason says 'everything fit perfectly' at Georgia". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  12. ^ Surge, Brandon (September 3, 2016). "While Georgia started Grayson Lambert, Jacob Eason gave Bulldogs much needed spark". Macon.com. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  13. ^ "Georgia Bulldogs: Jacob Eason". GeorgiaDogs.com. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  14. ^ "Jacob Eason 2016 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "No. 15 Georgia loses quarterback Jacob Eason to knee injury". USA Today. Associated Press. September 2, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  16. ^ Schnell, Lindsay (December 30, 2017). "Georgia backup QB Jacob Eason doesn't question his role: 'Look where we are now'". USA Today. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  17. ^ "QB Jacob Eason leaving Georgia after losing job to Fromm". USA Today. Associated Press. January 12, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  18. ^ Clark, Ryan S. (January 8, 2018). "If Jacob Eason leaves Georgia, could the quarterback come home and play for UW?". The News Tribune. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  19. ^ Adam, Jude (January 9, 2018). "Sources: Georgia QB Jacob Eason, the former Lake Stevens star, expected to transfer to UW". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  20. ^ Bonagura, Kyle (February 6, 2018). "Former Georgia QB Jacob Eason's transfer to Washington now official". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  21. ^ Stone, Larry (August 31, 2019). "With record Husky debut, UW quarterback Jacob Eason proves anything is possible". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  22. ^ "Jacob Eason Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  23. ^ "Jacob Eason, Washington, QB, 2020 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  24. ^ Ayello, Jim (April 27, 2020). "Colts already trying to temper expectations for QB Jacob Eason". USA Today. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "Indianapolis Colts Archive 12/02/20". Our Lads. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  26. ^ "Indianapolis Colts name Jacob Eason backup quarterback". On3. August 29, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  27. ^ "Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts - September 19th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  28. ^ Stankevitz, JJ (October 19, 2021). "Colts Activate Sam Ehlinger From Injured Reserve, Place Parris Campbell On Injured Reserve, Elevate Michael Badgley To 53-Man Roster From Practice Squad, Waive Jacob Eason". Colts.com. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  29. ^ Goodbeard, Chase (October 20, 2021). "Seahawks claim QB Jacob Eason off waivers from Colts". NFL.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  30. ^ Boyle, John (August 30, 2022). "Seahawks Make Roster Moves, Establish Initial 2022 53-Man Roster". Seahawks.com.
  31. ^ "Panthers signing QB Jacob Eason to practice squad". Panthers Wire. USA Today. August 31, 2022.
  32. ^ "Jacob Eason: Cut from Panthers' practice squad".
  33. ^ "49ers sign Dazz Newsome to the practice squad". November 14, 2022.
  34. ^ "49ers Waive Defensive Lineman from Roster, Quarterback from Practice Squad". 49ers.com. January 3, 2023.
  35. ^ "Jacob Eason signed to reserve/future contract". Panthers.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  36. ^ Gantt, Darin (May 18, 2023). "Panthers release two players". Panthers.com.
  37. ^ Traina, Patricia. "Giants Sign QB Jacob Eason". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  38. ^ Benton, Dan. "Giants cut two quarterbacks with Tyrod Taylor designated to return from IR". Giants Wire. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  39. ^ Traina, Patricia. "Giants Re-Sign QB Jacob Eason to Practice Squad". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  40. ^ "Jason Pinnock to IR; Jacob Eason, Tyree Jackson signed to active roster". giants.com. Retrieved January 7, 2024.

External links edit