Eagles Add QB G.J. Kinne

Add another player to the growing competition at quarterback for the Eagles. G.J. Kinne, who went undrafted out of Tulsa last year, joined the Eagles Wednesday on a two-year contract. Kinne signed with the New York Jets following last year’s NFL Draft but was released over the summer and recently joined the San Antonio Talons of the Arena Football League.

After transferring to Tulsa from the University of Texas following his redshirt sophomore season, Kinne earned the starting job and spent three seasons at quarterback for the Golden Hurricane. Over those three years, Kinne threw for 9,472 yards (249 yards per game) while completing 61.3 percent of his passes and throwing 81 touchdowns to 32 interceptions. Kinne, 6-2, 234, also added value with his legs, where he ran for 30.5 yards per game and 15 touchdowns.

During Kinne’s senior season, his quarterbacks coach was current Eagles offensive quality control coach Press Taylor. In the run-up to last year’s draft, Kinne earned MVP honors at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl all-star game. He was highlighted as a potential fit for the Eagles during last year's pre-draft process.

Prior to his collegiate career, Kinne experienced a heart-wrenching series of events as a high school quarterback in 2005 when his father Gary Joe, the team’s coach, was shot by a disgruntled and deranged father of one of Kinne’s teammates. Kinne was initially told that his father had passed away, only to find out that his father had indeed survived despite being given a “10 percent” chance of doing so.

On the Eagles, Kinne joins Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Trent Edwards and Dennis Dixon at the quarterback position in what should make for a very interesting competition throughout the spring and summer under head coach Chip Kelly.