Ian Book

Ian Book (born March 30, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Early years
Book was born on March 30, 1998, in El Dorado Hills, California, and played high school football at Oak Ridge High School. He originally committed to Washington State but flipped his commitment to Notre Dame.

College career
Book took a redshirt his freshman year in 2016 in order to preserve a year of eligibility. He sat behind starters Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer in addition to primary backup Brandon Wimbush.

Book sat behind Wimbush throughout the 2017 season, but on October 7, 2017, he started for an injured Wimbush against the North Carolina Tar Heels, propelling the Irish to a 33–10 victory. During the 2018 Citrus Bowl, Book came off the bench and led the Irish to a 21–17 victory over the LSU Tigers.

After a pair of slim home victories over unranked opponents the Ball State Cardinals and the Vanderbilt Commodores in 2018, Book was chosen as the starter over Wimbush for a road game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The result was a 56–27 Notre Dame victory, with Book throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns, and running for three more. Against the #7 ranked Stanford Cardinal the next week, Book threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–17 rout. The Irish continued to move up the rankings under Book, and in week 10, Book threw for two touchdown passes and ran 23 yards for a score in the closing minutes to lead No. 3 Notre Dame to a close 31–21 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats. Book helped the Irish to finish the regular season 12–0 and earn its first College Football Playoff berth, although the Irish were defeated by the eventual national champion the Clemson Tigers in the 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic, 30–3.

On September 14, 2019, Book threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns, and also had one rushing touchdown in a 66–14 win over the New Mexico Lobos. He contributed to the most points scored in a home opener at Notre Dame since 1932. On October 5, 2019, Book threw five touchdowns in the first half against the Bowling Green Falcons, becoming the first player in Notre Dame history to have five scores in one half. On November 9, 2019, Book threw four touchdown passes in a win against the Duke Blue Devils. On November 16, 2019, Book threw for 284 yards and five touchdowns against the Navy Midshipmen, making him the first Notre Dame quarterback in history to have five touchdown passes in three games for one season.

On December 29, 2019, Book announced via Instagram that he would be returning to Notre Dame for a fifth season as a redshirt senior. On December 5, 2020, Book passed Tom Clements, Ron Powlus, and Brady Quinn for most wins as a quarterback in Notre Dame football history with 30 total wins as a starter. His 72 touchdown passes are second all-time in program history. He finished 9th in the Heisman Trophy voting. He helped lead Notre Dame to an appearance in the College Football Playoff, where they eventually lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Semifinal Round in the Rose Bowl.

New Orleans Saints
Book was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round with the 133rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract with New Orleans on June 8, 2021. On December 23, 2021, he was named that week's starting quarterback after Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This made him the fourth quarterback the Saints named as a starter during an injury-riddled season. In the game, his NFL debut and first career start, Book was 12–20 for 135 yards and two interceptions. The Saints lost the game to the Miami Dolphins, 20–3. On August 30, 2022, Book was waived by the Saints.

Philadelphia Eagles
On August 31, 2022, Book was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was waived on August 29, 2023.

New England Patriots
On September 13, 2023, Book signed with the practice squad of the New England Patriots. He was released five days later on September 18.

Kansas City Chiefs
On January 10, 2024, Book signed a reserve/future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.