Unlike Broncos, Eagles have secret weapon if COVID-19 prevents QBs from playing

The Eagles were ahead of the curve when they signed Josh McCown to the practice squad in December, but had him quarantine from his home in Texas.

Now that McCown has signed with the Houston Texans, it might appear as if the Eagles would be in a bind should a COVID-19 outbreak among their quarterbacks leave them in the same situation the Denver Broncos faced last weekend.

The Broncos had to promote Kendall Hinton, a practice squad wide receiver, for their game against the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. It didn't go well in Denver's 31-3 loss.

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The Eagles only have three quarterbacks on the roster. That includes the practice squad. And two of them – Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts – play in the games.

Yet the Eagles are not keeping third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld away from Wentz and Hurts.

One of the reasons could be because the Eagles have an accomplished quarterback in wide receiver Greg Ward, who starred both in high school in Tyler, Texas, and in college at the University of Houston.

In fact, Ward has beaten Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes in a high school playoff game, and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson and Cleveland's Baker Mayfield in college.

When asked if he could fill in at quarterback if needed, Ward replied: "Of course I can do it! You have to have that confidence. I believe in myself. I have the confidence that I can do it if my name was called."

Ward said he "kind of throws it around with some of the guys" before practice, but he doesn't take quarterback snaps in practice.

Still, Ward is a much better option than Hinton was for the Broncos. Hinton completed just 1 of 9 passes for 13 yards. He also threw 2 interceptions.

"I was happy for him," Ward said about Hinton getting the chance. "I was waiting for him to go get a win for them, honestly. I wanted him to go out there and do his best."

Ward switched to wide receiver coming out of college in 2017. He spent parts of three seasons on the Eagles' practice squad before getting promoted for good late in the 2019 season.

Ward leads the Eagles with 41 receptions and is fourth in yards with 294.

Ward has never thrown a pass in an NFL game, but he did try one in a 2019 preseason game against Jacksonville. It was incomplete.

Ward was seen trying a pass on a jet sweep during training camp. Ward was asked afterward if he's aware that fans want to see him throw a pass in a game.

"I’m excited that the fans want it," Ward said then. "I hope we can get it done, but that’s not up to me. That’s up to the coaches."

Ward was asked how that pass went: "Definitely a good ball," he said with a laugh.

Another reason the Eagles aren't quarantining Sudfeld is that under the NFL's updated protocols, all team meetings are to be held remotely. There are also stricter limits for how many players can be in the locker room, weight room and training rooms at the same time.

"All that we emphasize around here is following the protocols," Wentz said. "Now that we’re in this intensive protocol mode, even in-person meetings aren’t really a thing. So just when we’re around each other, keep the mask on.

"It’s a strange environment sometimes, but that actual discussion hasn’t really come up ... We’re just trying to be smart around here so that nobody runs into that unfortunate situation Denver was in."

It was strange as well when the Eagles signed McCown to the practice squad – and then had him stay in Texas.

McCown, who's 41, attended meetings virtually, threw with his sons at the high school they attend – both are quarterbacks – and looked over video to find ways to help Wentz.

When asked back in September if he felt like a part of the team while staying home, McCown responded: "It's different, but no different than so many corporations around America right now."

As for Ward, he has technically already served as the Eagles' emergency quarterback since Sudfeld has not been on the game-day roster.

The Eagles could do a lot worse.

In high school against Mahomes, Ward threw touchdown passes of 25, 54, and 71 yards as Tyler High rallied from a 24-0 deficit in the first round of the 2012 playoffs to beat Mahomes at Whitehouse High, 45-38. 

In all, Ward passed for 318 yards, ran for 147 and accounted for five touchdowns. Mahomes was 28 of 47 for 435 yards and 4 TDs.

Against Louisville in 2016, Ward was 25-for-44 for 233 yards and two TDs in Houston's 36-10 win over Jackson and the Cardinals. At the time, Louisville was ranked No. 3 in the nation, and in the running for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Jackson completed 20 of 43 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown and won the Heisman Trophy that season.

Earlier that season, Ward led a 33-23 win over Mayfield and Oklahoma. Ward threw for 341 yards and 2 TDs that day. Mayfield threw for 323 yards and 2 TDs.

"The game I remember the most is the one against Pat in high school," Ward said. "That will always, forever, be a classic game. It was a very big game between us both, and it was record-setting for both of us, and it was a lot of fun."

Slay added to injury list

DT Fletcher Cox (neck) missed his second straight day of practice, as did S Rudy Ford (hamstring). TE Zach Ertz (ankle), LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring) and CB Darius Slay (calf) were limited. Slay was a new addition to the injury report, indicating the injury might have taken place during Thursday's practice.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.