Eagles' 'Could' Cut Long-Time Veteran in Favor of Rookie Quarterback

The Philadelphia Eagles have a quarterback situation to figure out, and it should be settled within the next few days to a week. 

Right now, Philadelphia has Jalen Hurts and another quarterback or two who could be on the roster. As of now, they have four quarterbacks in Hurts, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton, and Tanner McKee. 

From the sound of things, McKee is the early favorite to be the QB2, while the North Dakota State product in Payton, 23 years old, could be the guy the Eagles and Howie Roseman want to develop. 

Roseman will ultimately have to decide whether he wants to keep a young guy like Payton around after selecting him in this year's draft. It wouldn't make much sense not to. While some have suggested it could happen, it doesn't sound like that's going to end up happening. 

Right now, Dalton is more likely to be the one moved on from, whether that means being released or traded.

“Cole Payton’s promising preseason debut warrants more opportunity. The Eagles haven’t cut ties with a fifth-round rookie since 2019 (another QB: Clayton Thorson), and Payton’s 92 total offensive yards in two drives and six-yard touchdown pass to Erik Ezukanma might entice other teams to pick Payton off waivers if he is subjected to them. 

“Dalton, who failed to produce a first down in the exhibition’s first three drives, and his 16 years of experience can still be a resource on the sideline; but the Eagles could cut him and keep him on the practice squad,” Brooks Kubena wrote.

Because Dalton has been in this league for a very long time and has honestly done pretty well for the most part, he should find himself in a position to find a new team relatively quickly. If the Eagles decide to move on from him, there should even be teams around the NFL interested in trading for him. 

The Eagles will have to decide whether they trust McKee or Payton enough to play if Hurts goes down, as Dalton can really be that guy, but that might be a story for another time.