The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders might be the NFL’s two most desperate teams when they meet on Sunday Night Football in Week 8 — which means one of them might have some tricks up their sleeves.
The Eagles revealed they might be the one with some tricks up their sleeves just one day after Halloween by putting rookie quarterback Cole Payton on the active roster — but not as the emergency third quarterback.
“Cole Payton is active,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote on X. “Won’t be emergency QB. Could have special teams role … or maybe on offense? That would be inventive.”
The Eagles are 2-5 and have lost five consecutive games. The Commanders are 1-4-1 and coming off a bye week.
“Cole Payton is active over Jake Majors,” The Athletic’s Zach Berman wrote on X. “That would indicate that Payton could have a special teams role. Eagles inactives: DeVonta Smith, Jihaad Campbell, Dontayvion Wicks, Jonathan Jones, Jake Majors, Britain Covey.”
“No emergency QB3 for the Eagles, so they can use Cole Payton however they need to,” The Philly Special’s Anthony DiBona wrote on X.
Second Week Adjusting Cole Payton’s Role
It’s the second straight week the Eagles have adjusted Payton’s role following a Week 7 loss to the Cowboys.
“Eagles QB Joe Milton was promoted and will now backup starter Tanner McKee,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Tim McManus wrote on his official X account on Monday. “Cole Payton is the emergency third QB.”
Milton played for the Cowboys in 2025 as Dak Prescott’s backup and joined the Eagles’ roster from the Cowboys’ practice squad on October 17.
“Eagles QB Joe Milton is the backup QB tonight behind Tanner McKee, not Cole Payton,” Dallas Morning News reporter Joseph Hoyt wrote on X.
McKee will start his third consecutive game after starter and Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts was ruled out for the season after blood clots were discovered in his lungs.
Payton’s Athleticism Could Come Into Play
The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena singled out Payton, a 2026 5th-round pick out of North Dakota State, as a player who might have an expanded role for the Eagles similar to what New Orleans Saints quarterback/tight end/wide receiver/running back Taysom Hill did during his career.
“Payton is a southpaw with Taysom Hill comps,” Kubena wrote on July 24. “As the Eagles decide what to do with Tanner McKee while he battles Andy Dalton for QB2, they’ll spend training camp seeing if there’s a future role at all for a terrific athlete like Payton.”
Payton, 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, won a pair of FCS national championships as a backup at North Dakota State, though he was used in short-yardage, goal-line situations and had 13 rushing touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023.
He finally got a chance to start in 2025, leading the Bison to a 12-1 record while putting up 3,496 yards of total offense and 29 touchdowns — 16 passing and 13 rushing.
Eagles Make Surprise QB Roster Move for Commanders Game