Former Andover High Football Star E.J. Perry Back With NFL's Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, FL —Former Andover High and Brown University quarterback E.J. Perry has returned to the Jacksonville Jaguars two weeks after the team released him, the Jaguars announced earlier this week.

Perry, who won the 2021 Bushnell Cup, which is given to the Ivy League's top offensive player, signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent this past spring. Perry then attended rookie minicamp with the team.

However, on July 24, the day training camp opened, the Jaguars announced they had released Perry with a non-football injury designation due to a hamstring injury. The team signed quarterback Kyle Sloter in his place.

In the Jaguars' 27-11 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the Aug. 4 Hall of Fame Game, Sloter completed 13-of-25 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. The team was playing without starter Trevor Lawrence and expected backup C.J. Beathard.

But on Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jacksonville had decided to bring back Perry, reaching an agreement on a one-year contract. Sloter was released.

By Wednesday, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Perry was at Jaguars practice wearing the No. 4 jersey that Slotter had donned a few days earlier.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson explained to Jaguars Report why the team brought back Perry.

"He was with us all spring. We had time invested in him," Pederson said about Perry. "I thank Kyle (Sloter) for the couple weeks that he was here. He did a nice job for us while he was here, and we wish him the best. In EJ, we had a guy we liked coming out of the draft and brought him in here, smart kid, sharp kid. He's healthy now and ready to go."

Perry could see his first NFL action, albeit preseason, when the Jaguars host the Cleveland Browns at 6 p.m. Friday.