The Philadelphia Eagles are nearly one week away from their regular-season debut against the Washington Commanders, and the team still hasn’t publicly announced who will play the role of Jalen Hurts’ backup.
With four quarterbacks on the roster, the decision comes down to Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee. It’s clear the Eagles entered training camp and the preseason with the idea of Dalton beating out their homegrown pick, but the seasoned veteran didn’t separate himself from McKee, based on what the public has seen.
However, that’s not exactly a positive endorsement for McKee. Although Dalton struggled, so did McKee. The answer to the QB2 question isn’t right in everybody’s face. Eventually, the Eagles will show their hand. In the meantime, one Eagles insider predicts that the Eagles will look to shop Andy Dalton.
Is Andy Dalton On The Trade Block?
Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice didn’t sugarcoat his opinion on the situation. He described the Eagles’ backup quarterback situation as “bungled.”
“They’ll try like hell to trade Dalton,” Kempski wrote on September 2, “but I’m not sure exactly who would give anything up for him.”
At the start of the Eagles’ offseason activities, it was assumed that McKee would be the trade candidate, with Dalton winning the QB2 spot.
Now, the Eagles might just be willing to get rid of whichever one brings the most trade value at this stage of the offseason. Perhaps Dalton’s experience is enough to get something out of him.
Andy Dalton’s NFL Career
The 38-year-old’s best days are behind him.
While Dalton has a decent resume, which includes three Pro Bowls and 169 starts, he hasn’t started more than five games since his 2022 run with the New Orleans Saints. Last season, Dalton appeared in four games with the Carolina Panthers.
Overall, Dalton has completed 62.6% of his passes throughout his career, for nearly 40,000 yards. He has 254 career touchdown passes to 151 interceptions.
When it comes to experience, Dalton has much more than McKee. But most would probably argue that keeping the younger developmental piece might be the better bet.