The Philadelphia Eagles are all of a sudden in a quarterback bind, and in just a slightly alternate timeline, the Carolina Panthers could be facing their former quarterback Andy Dalton in Week 6.
But the Eagles don’t have Dalton anymore. It’s a weird sequence of events that have led into the news on Thursday that Jalen Hurts is dealing with a superficial blood clot.
Hurts was ruled out for Sunday’s game, and it’s not clear how long he’ll be out yet.
But what is clear is that the Eagles will be starting their backup QB against Carolina, Tanner McKee.
McKee was previously on the depth chart alongside Dalton, but that’s no longer true.
Where is Andy Dalton?
Andy Dalton was a member of the Eagles one week ago.
Philadelphia chose to release him on Friday, Oct. 9.
The #Eagles are releasing QB Andy Dalton, sources say.
Tanner McKee and Cole Payton will be the backups to Jalen Hurts moving forward. https://t.co/1t9mlxFRjq
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 9, 2026
Very few teams keep around four QBs, so the Eagles were likely making sure that the fifth-round rookie Cole Payton was solid enough to fill the QB3 role before cutting Dalton.
Of course, Philadelphia may not have been anticipating that Hurts would be staring at an absence so soon.
Dalton is 38 now, but the Eagles specifically sought him out in March. They traded a 2027 seventh-round pick to get Dalton from Carolina.
With the Panthers, Dalton had been Bryce Young’s backup and also filled in for him as a starter at times.
If the Eagles still had Dalton, they would’ve had to make a tough call for who to start in Week 6.
Instead, it’s McKee’s gig, and Dalton remains a free agent.
It is worth noting that the Eagles could sign Dalton back if Hurts is forced to miss extended time. He’d be more familiar with their system than any other available options.
Andy Dalton With Panthers
Dalton spent three seasons with the Panthers, beginning in 2023.
He appeared in 13 games, seven as a starter, and he went 1-6 in those starts.
Dalton threw 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while playing QB for the Panthers, throwing for 1,643 yards in total.
The lone victory that Dalton led the Panthers to came in September 2024. He threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dalton didn’t win again, and after the 2025 season, Carolina traded him to Philly. He could’ve greeted the Panthers in the City of Brotherly Love this week if he hadn’t been cut less than a week ago.
Ex-Panthers QB Andy Dalton Had Terrible Timing From Eagles Decision