Two years ago, in their run to the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles made a move to trade for a former 1st-round pick as the backup to eventual Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts.
While Kenny Pickett proved to be a more-than-competent QB2, that was also the year the Eagles had to make do without Hurts for the last 3 games of the year while he was in concussion protocol.
In that stretch, Pickett ended up injured, and the Eagles had to turn to their QB3, Tanner McKee, who immediately made himself a valuable trade chip with his play.
Now, headed into the final year of McKee’s rookie contract and after being the de facto QB2 in 2025, that role might not be handed to him again in 2026.
The Athletic’s Zach Berman singled out the battle between 15-year NFL veteran Andy Dalton and McKee as the “fiercest” position battle headed into training camp.
“If I answered this question two months ago, I would have said safety,” Berman wrote. “Now? I’ll go with backup quarterback. When the Eagles traded for Andy Dalton, I figured the move was made to provide a veteran voice in the room and perhaps insurance if the Eagles received a compelling trade package for Tanner McKee. I did not anticipate an earnest competition for the backup quarterback job. Well, this spring showed it’s a competition. The two split work, and when asked directly if McKee is still his No. 2 quarterback, Nick Sirianni suggested no determination has been made … I’m careful not to overstate spring depth chart developments. I found this one to be a legitimate indication of a competition.”
There’s also the matter of a rookie quarterback — the Eagles used a 5th-round pick (No. 178 overall) on North Dakota State’s Cole Payton in the 2026 NFL draft.
Andy Dalton: Still Likely Odd Man Out
According to Go Birds Pod’s Elliott Shorr-Parks, it’s Dalton who will be the odd man out in his latest 53-man roster projections.
“Even though there is a QB competition at backup QB I could see Andy Dalton landing on the practice squad,” Shorr-Parks wrote on his official X account on June 22. “More likely to be cut and put on the PS than McKee or Payton.”
It’s the latest ominous prediction for Dalton, whom the Eagles traded a 7th-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for on March 18.
SB Nation’s Brandon Lee Gowton called Dalton 1 of the big losers following spring workouts.
“But even on his best day, Dalton’s lacking arm strength was apparent as he barely completed some out routes that were tightly contested by defenders. And aside from that one day, Dalton struggled,” Gowton wrote. “Inaccurate passes were an issue and he threw multiple interceptions.”
Andy Dalton’s Career Probably Wrapping Up
There’s a chance that Dalton, 38, might just not have anything left after 15 seasons in the NFL, in which he’s played for 6 teams, been a 3-time Pro Bowler, and banked an incredible $114.6 million in career earnings.
Dalton was a 2nd-round pick (No. 35 overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2011 NFL draft after going 36-3 as the starter for TCU, including an undefeated, 13-0 season in 2010.
With the Bengals, Dalton went 70-61-2 as the full-time starter for 9 seasons before embarking on the journeyman portion of his career, including 1-year stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints before spending the last 3 seasons with the Panthers.
One incredible stat about Dalton — in all 15 of his NFL seasons, he’s started at least 1 game every year.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni Won’t Commit to Backup QB in ‘Fierce’ Position Battle