The Indianapolis Colts have question marks at the quarterback position with Carson Wentz working his way back from foot surgery, but second-year passer Jacob Eason gave an impressive showing during the team’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.
Eason got the start on Sunday, making his debut in a Colts uniform and hitting the field for game action for the first time since 2019 when he was leading the Washington Huskies for his senior season.
The former fourth-round pick impressed during his debut, especially during the two-minute drive at the end of the first half to cap his day with the first team.
“Jacob (Eason), the two-minute drive was a clinic reel. He does a great job and he hit some really nice throws the whole first half,” said head coach Frank Reich on Sunday. “He had a couple of lasers and really looked good. He put the ball on the ground one time and made one or two errors, mental mistakes we’ll clean up but was proud of Jacob. I thought he went out there and showed himself well.”
Eason finished the game 15/21 for 183 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and a 97.2 passer rating. Given the uncertainty and the question marks surrounding Eason’s game, this was a very encouraging outing.
There were some issues that Eason will need to continue working on, of course. Feeling pressure from the edge and having more urgency when climbing the pocket is an aspect of his game that needs more work. Also, knowing when to differentiate between rearing back for a heater and putting a little more touch on the ball must be an area of emphasis as well.
Fortunately, those are all areas of his game that can be improved with more reps against live action.
“Well, we’re always working on having the right timing, but like you said, speeding it up and getting it to the right timing with the play is important. I think Jacob (Eason) has done well there,” said Reich. “There are times where it needs to be better, I think you’re seeing that right at times, but I think he’s making good progress, he’s very coachable and I think he’s getting better each day and each week.”
The Colts will switch for the second preseason game in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings as Sam Ehlinger will get the start, but this was an impressive outing for the former fouth-round pick.
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