Mark Sanchez Re-Signs with Eagles: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Quarterback Mark Sanchez apparently liked his one-year career resurrection under head coach Chip Kelly enough to try it again. Sanchez and the Eagles agreed to a two-year contract on Sunday, as the former first-round pick will try to continue building on the success he had last season.  The team officially announced the news on March 10. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport initially reported the news, with ESPN's Adam Schefter and Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo breaking down the numbers of the deal:

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Sanchez, 28, played in nine games in 2014, eight of which were starts. Taking over for an injured Nick Foles in Week 9, Sanchez was able to keep the offense afloat by maintaining a performance level generally similar to that of his predecessor. He set a career high in quarterback rating (88.4), completion percentage (64.1) and yards per attempt (7.8) while throwing touchdowns at a higher rate than Foles.

The Eagles went 5-4 in games Sanchez played, though they dropped three of their last four to finish 10-6. That said, Sanchez struggled with turnovers during his tenure under center and entered free agency with an uncertain outlook.

“That’s for you [media] guys to debate, and I’m not really worried about that,” Sanchez said of a return in December, per Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “I’m thrilled about getting the opportunity [with the Eagles], I’m thrilled about making new friends on this team, and hopefully we can continue to do stuff in the future. But, we’ll see.”

Overall, Sanchez finished 2014 right in the middle of the pack among quarterbacks. He was 17th in QBR, 23rd in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric and 25th in Pro Football Focus' quarterback rating. His main issues, as was the case in New York, came with accuracy and poorly timed turnovers. Sanchez especially struggled with ball placement on downfield throws and when under pressure—a sign that perhaps his "improvement" was more systemic than anything.

Kelly's uptempo system has long been viewed as a potential shield for flawed quarterbacks. Foles' massive 2013 breakout has been seen as the best evidence, with his performance dipping heavily when defenses got a full year of film. Given that Sanchez and Foles have relatively similar skill sets, it's not much of a surprise their respective performances barely differ from one another. Perhaps they serve as a barometer for what a league-average quarterback can do under Kelly.

We'll get to find out in 2015. Sanchez should enter camp competing for the starting job—or at the very least having an opportunity to take over if Foles struggles. Many may look at this as the litmus test for Sanchez's career. For five seasons, we watched him be a consistently subpar quarterback with the Jets. For one season, we saw him be a league-average starter with the Eagles.   

Next season may decide whether 2014 was a fluke or if Sanchez is preparing to write an interesting second chapter of his career.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.