March 25, 2024   2 MIN READ

Quez Heads West

Report: Former Birds WR Inks With Steelers

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In the end, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni will reunite with an old friend and say goodbye to a new one.

On Monday, four days after the Eagles signed former Colts receiver Parris Campbell to potentially play inside, former Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins found a new home with the Steelers.

Watkins, who came out of Southern Missouri with 4.3 speed, was miscast over the past few years as an inside receiver in Sirianni’s offense.

A 2020 sixth-round pick during the Doug Pederson regime, Watkins broke out for 43 catches and 647 yards – averaging 15 yards per catch – in his second season, rotating in frequently during Sirianni’s first season as head coach.

Sirianni infamously said after the 2021 season that Watkins could be one of the better No. 2 receivers in the league, alongside DeVonta Smith.

Quez Watkins

GETTY IMAGES: Former Eagles WR Quez Watkins is signing with the Steelers.

Personnel chief Howie Roseman didn’t see it that way and traded with Tennessee for star receiver A.J. Brown, which immediately pushed Watkins into the No. 3 role and on the inside.

As a slot receiver, Watkins watched his overall production drop in 2022, as he caught 33 passes for 354 yards while his yards-per-catch average suffered a steep drop to 10.7. Sirianni still defended Watkins and singled out his OTA performance going into the 2023 season.

Last year, Watkins dealt with injuries and caught just 15 passes for 142 yards in 16 games.

With the Steelers, Watkins is more likely to compete for a backup outside receiver role behind George Pickens and another starter, with Calvin Austin III having the ability to play inside and outside.

The Eagles have used free agency to bolster their depth, adding Campbell and former Patriots and Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker. Campbell played under Sirianni from 2019-2020, when Sirianni was offensive coordinator for the Colts.

Campbell dealt with several injuries for his first three seasons with the Colts until breaking out with 63 receptions for 623 yards and three touchdowns in his fourth season, operating mostly from the slot.

Campbell signed a 1-year deal with the Giants but struggled to get on the field and finished with just 20 receptions for 104 yards.

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

About The Author

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Geoff Mosher is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience covering the Eagles, the NFL and other college and pro sports across several different multimedia platforms. He is co-host of the acclaimed Inside the Birds podcast, the leading podcast for intel on the Philadelphia Eagles, and co-host on 97.3 ESPN's drive-time show. He has also hosted on Philadelphia's sports-talk station, 94.1 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic. Geoff was the lead Eagles Insider from 2012-2015 for NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he wrote for the website and appeared daily on the station's TV shows, including Quick Slants, Philly Sports Talk, Eagles Pregame/Postgame Live and Eagles Extra. Prior to joining NBC Sports, Geoff worked the Eagles beat from 2005-2012 for the Wilmington News Journal, where he broke several major news stories and also won an Associated Press Sports Editors award under the category of Breaking News for his coverage of the sudden death of Phillies play by play broadcaster Harry Kalas. Geoff has appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, FOX29, 6ABC and has conducted interviews for Sirius/XM NFL radio and countless other radio stations across the country.

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