Soon, the Philadelphia Eagles‘ backup quarterback battle will get its first preseason game action, and everybody beyond the coaching staff and local media will see what the Eagles are working with behind Jalen Hurts.
Throughout the summer, Andy Dalton has been credited with beating out Tanner McKee, whether it was in minicamp or training camp. However, a recent update on the battle doesn’t bode well for the former Pro Bowler.
3-Time NFL Pro Bowler Gets Eagles Trade Prediction
In a training camp bubble player power rankings, Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski considers the veteran quarterback to be a possible cut candidate.
Dalton comes on the list of 27 players at No. 10. He was credited with getting off to a strong start, but the Eagles insider reports that the ex-Bengal has since cooled down.
“Dalton had a nice start to camp, but he’s been shaky the last few practices,” Kempski wrote on August 14. “If the Eagles think Cole Payton is worthy of a roster spot as the QB3, they will look trade one of the co-QB2’s in Dalton or Tanner McKee.”
If the insider had to bet, he believes it would be Dalton.
Pressure On Andy Dalton
The 38-year-old quarterback has turned in a fairly successful career.
During his Cincinnati Bengals run, Dalton made three Pro Bowls. He’s no longer a starting-caliber quarterback, but he’s clearly taken seriously as a backup in the league.
Last year, Dalton appeared in four games, garnering one start with the Carolina Panthers. He threw 37 passes, completing 67.6% of them. Dalton tossed one touchdown and one interception.
He’s got far more experience than Tanner McKee, but the Eagles have valued McKee pretty highly prior to this offseason. Ideally, the Eagles’ homegrown quarterback would run away with the battle, but something clearly has been off with McKee.
Opinions regarding the backup QB position have been all over the place. In this case, Dalton loses out. However, the Eagles will soon get a three-game sample size to truly figure out which direction they want to take.