Prior to Saturday’s preseason action between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, the QB2 battle was a tight one, without a clear leader. Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee struggled to find separation in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens as the entire offense had a rough outing.
On Saturday against the Patriots, Tanner McKee came off the bench but clearly had the better outing. Now, the two QBs will get one more week to battle it out in a game setting.
Considering the Eagles have four quarterbacks on the roster, with a developing rookie in Cole Payton, it could lead the Eagles to cut or trade the loser of the McKee-Dalton showdown—rather than just moving one to QB3.
Eagles Proposed To Trade Andy Dalton To Patriots For 9-Year NFL WR
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 22: Andy Dalton #14 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the preseason game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice suggests that the Eagles should consider trading Dalton to Saturday’s opponent in order to form a reunion with former Eagles wide receiver, Mack Hollins.
“The Patriots are deep at receiver after trading for AJ Brown and spending big money on WR2 Romeo Doubs. They also have a nice little slot receiver in Demario Douglas, a 2025 third-round pick in Kyle Williams, and a couple of backups with past modest production in Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins,” Kempski explained. “Boutte has been the subject of trade speculation for the entire offseason, but I think the player who makes more sense for the Eagles is Hollins.”
The Eagles insider added that Dalton might be a “valuable off-the-field sounding board for the young and talented Drake Maye.” The current Patriots backup is the former New York Giants quarterback, Tommy DeVito.
The Size Debate
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 14: Mack Hollins #13 of the New England Patriots in action against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
This week’s concern in Philadelphia is the size of the wideout room. After trading away Brown back in June, the Eagles have a notable group of receivers who are viewed as undersized by NFL standards.
Hollins’ measurements would make him the biggest receiver on the team. And while he was more of a special teams standout with the Eagles early on in his career, Hollins could be a solid secondary target for Jalen Hurts these days.
With the Patriots last season, Hollins caught 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.
Hollins entered the NFL out of the University of North Carolina in 2017. The Eagles selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Hollins caught 16 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. He missed his entire second season and appeared in 12 games during the 2019 NFL season before getting traded to the Miami Dolphins. Since his Dolphins stint, Hollins has played for the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, and now the Patriots.