The Jacksonville Jaguars had a particularly fresh face on the field for the start of training camp on Monday, with free-agent signee Kyle Sloter immediately getting into the swing of things a day after signing with the squad.
But why was it Sloter the Jaguars landed on following EJ Perry's hamstring injury that resulted in him being waived? Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson explained it was because with Perry on the mend, the Jaguars needed a fourth arm to ensure the offense gets the reps it needs.
Because of Sloter's time in the USFL this spring, he ended up being that quarterback.
"I had watched him a little bit in the USFL this year in some of the spots he’s been in," Pederson said before practice on Monday. He’s a young guy that, with EJ, again with an injury this summer, we had to make a decision because he needed another arm in here to keep throwing and all of that.
Sloter signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and has since spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and the Raiders.
Sloter spent this offseason in the newly-formed USFL after the New Orleans Breakers drafted him in the first round. He finished the season with nine starts, completing 57.7% of his passes for 1,798 yards (6.2 yards per attempt) with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Sloter has stood out during training camps and preseasons in the past, especially with the Vikings. Monday was his first chance to make an impression on the Jaguars and push for a potential spot on the 53-man roster or practice squad, especially with veteran quarterback C.J. Beathard not taking any team reps on Monday.
Sloter clearly won't push for the No. 1 or No. 2 job, but he is the passer the Jaguars are turning to throughout the rest of camp to fill out their quarterback room. Now, it will be up to Sloter to take advantage of the reps under Pederson, coordinator Press Taylor and quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy.
"This is a great opportunity for him to really embrace this chance, embrace this opportunity, get some time in maybe these first couple of games, and get some meaningful reps and tape out there not only for us but also for other teams," Pederson said.
Pederson was known as a quarterback guru with the Eagles and frequently churned out productive backups. Now, it will be Sloter's chance to be the next in line.
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