The Philadelphia Eagles‘ decision to roll with four quarterbacks on the roster seemed like a bluff back in late August, when they submitted their final cuts.
Three weeks in, the Eagles are still rolling with the same depth chart, which includes Andy Dalton as Jalen Hurts’ primary backup.
Contrary to Nick Sirianni and Sean Mannion’s belief, many team insiders have suggested that Tanner McKee is more worthy of playing QB2 over Dalton, based on what was put on display in training camp and the preseason.
But the Eagles haven’t accepted that idea. When Jalen Hurts was pulled from Monday’s action against the Chicago Bears in Week 3, Dalton was called on the field.
Once again, the backup quarterback didn’t help his case.
Eagles Urged To Change Frustrating QB Situation After Loss vs Bears
Eagles On SI’s Jeff Kerr acknowledged some of the biggest reactions from Monday’s action and noted whether they were overreactions or reality.
When it came to the backup quarterback spot, the idea of moving Dalton to No. 3 on the depth chart was not deemed an overreaction.
“All it took was one pass for the Eagles to show they botched the QB2 situation. They hid the No. 2 quarterback as long as they could because they knew they didn’t have one,” Kerr wrote.
“The four quarterback thing is just wasting a roster spot at this point. The Eagles should just have Tanner McKee as the QB2 for this year and figure out what to do with Dalton going forward.”
Andy Dalton Explains His Big Mistake
After several handoffs, the Eagles were facing a third-and-goal and felt the need to throw the ball for their final attempt to punch it in for six points.
Dalton had time in the pocket to analyze the play, but any true throw would’ve been forced. He did just that, resulting in a momentum-killing turnover in the red zone.
“We get down there, I can’t put ourselves in a bad position like that. I mean, costly turnover at a tough time, man. That’s points on the board,” Dalton said after the game.
“[The Bears] schemed it up pretty good. I obviously didn’t see the safety in the middle, and he just read my eyes. My eyes were over there, and he just made the play. Again, I can’t put our team in that situation. Costly decision.”
By the end of the night, Dalton’s mistake was just one reason behind the Eagles’ blowout loss. Plenty of other players have to look in the mirror and accept their contributions to the loss, but not everybody will hear that their job might be on the line.
Whether the Eagles swap McKee and Dalton or not is unclear. That will be something that Nick Sirianni has to address when he meets with reporters again.