The Philadelphia Eagles have a new quarterback in Andy Dalton.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday the Eagles acquired Dalton in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Philadelphia agreed to send a 2027 seventh-round pick for the veteran signal-caller.
Dalton started for nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He also started at least six contests for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints from 2020-22.
The past three years, Dalton has mostly served as Bryce Young’s backup with the Panthers. Dalton was briefly the team’s starting quarterback when the team benched Young during 2024.
Dalton owns an 84-83-2 record as a starter. He’s thrown for nearly 40,000 yards with 254 passing touchdowns and 151 interceptions.
94WIP.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks probably best summarized the trade in one word on social media minutes after Schefter announced the trade.
Eagles Acquire QB Andy Dalton in Trade From Carolina Panthers: Report
At his peak, Dalton put together some strong regular seasons with the Bengals. The team won at least 10 games with Dalton as their starter from 2012-15.
But Dalton couldn’t quite get over the playoff hump. He posted an 0-4 postseason record as a starting quarterback.
Dalton, though, has continued to play in the league thanks to the reliability and experience he brings as a backup.
Dalton helped keep the Cowboys afloat with a 4-5 record in 2020 when an injury sidelined Dak Prescott. In Chicago, Dalton served as a placeholder and mentor to Justin Fields early in his career.
With the Saints, Dalton was a bridge quarterback, keeping the team competitive.
In Carolina, he was a sounding board for Young, who took another step forward in 2025.
As a starter in Carolina, Dalton went 1-6. But again, he often kept the team competitive, with the offense usually being able to move the ball.
Since leaving the Bengals, Dalton owns a 14-22 mark as a starter. But that includes his poor record with the Panthers, who featured a pretty bad team when Dalton started in 2024.
Besides 2024, Dalton has posted a record within two games of the .500 mark every year since 2020.
With the Eagles, Dalton should offer the team a chance to remain competitive if starter Jalen Hurts sustains an injury during 2026.
Dalton has one year left on his current contract. According to Spotrac, he has a $4 million cap hit for the 2026 season.
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Acquiring Dalton gives the Eagles three quarterbacks. NFL offseason rosters typically include three or four signal-callers.
Still, the move to trade for Dalton is going to cause some pundits to wonder about the future of Tanner McKee.
A lot of pundits like McKee’s potential. For that reason, some analysts have suggested he could be a trade target for quarterback-needy teams.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has named the Pittsburgh Steelers a potential landing spot multiple times this offseason.
Last year, McKee served as Philadelphia’s backup after the team traded Kenny Pickett. McKee started in a meaningless Week 18 matchup during this past season. He completed 21 of 40 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown and interception during a loss.
The Eagles acquiring Dalton may signal the team has lost faith in McKee as a backup. Or, it could indicate the team plans to trade McKee this offseason.
Philadelphia drafted McKee at No. 188 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He has one season left on his rookie deal.
General manager Howie Roseman has also often stressed the importance of quarterback depth. Landing Dalton gives the Eagles that.
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