6 Biggest Takeaways From Eagles Preseason Opener: QB2 Battle Is Hilariously Bad

That was a Philadelphia Eagles preseason opener for the ages...

Apologies to anyone who watched that offensive performance for 60 minutes, as Sean Mannion's debut as the Eagles play caller went worse than a rookie quarterback throwing three interceptions in his first NFL start.

The good news for Mannion? The Eagles run an extremely vanilla offense in the preseason, and it sure went in that direction as none of the first team staters played in this game.

This was also the preseason. The Eagles just don't play starters and look to get through the game unscathed. The preseason is about getting the third team players valuable game reps -- at least how the Eagles have approached the preseason under Nick Sirianni.

The recap of this one said it all.

The takeaways from the Eagles preseason opener? Not much to write positively about on the offensive side of the ball, but there were some good aspects from this 17-0 shutout loss.

Eagles have a QB2 problem

The battle between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee is a push for a reason. Both players did not perform well in the preseason opener, evidenced by the two first downs the offense totaled through three quarters.

Dalton started the game and played the first quarter. The offense failed to pick up a first down in Dalton's three series, running nine plays for 12 yards. Dalton finished 3-of-6 for 20 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per attempt. He was 1-of-3 for 8 yards on third down.

McKee wasn't much better, although the Eagles got a whomping two first downs when he was in the game. The Eagles ran 20 plays for 40 yards when McKee was in the game -- an average of 2.0 yards per play. McKee went 6-of-10 for 35 yards and 0-for-3 on third down.

Neither quarterback did anything to seize the QB2 job, as the offense was stagnant when both quarterbacks were in. The offense finally moved the ball when Cole Payton was in the game -- late in the fourth quarter.

Who wins this job is anyone's guess, but both Dalton and McKee struggled to command the offense in the preseason opener. The QB2 battle -- if that's what you want to call it -- was laughable.

Have a debut Joshua Weru

Weru was starting to come around over the last few training camp practices, enough where he was an intriguing candidate to watch in this game. The moves he was making in 1-on-1s boded well for Weru in his NFL debut.

Playing in his first football game, Weru totaled two pressures on his first series. The athletic traits Weru showed in his International Program Pathway tape showed up in this game, as he recorded a quarterback hit on a 3rd-and-8 at the Ravens' 24-yard line -- that forced the offense off the field and Baltimore to kick a field goal.

Weru had a tackle in his debut, playing 26 snaps and showcasing why the Eagles may protect him on the 53-man roster. He has a ways to go, per Vic Fangio, but clearly demonstrated why there's a lot to like about his potential.

Training camp Darius Cooper didn't show up

Cooper was part of the offensive struggles, even if he was targeted a team-high five times. The training camp standout had just two catches for 21 yards, but the most notable play was the third down drop late in the first quarter.

On a third-and-5 with 1:53 left in the first quarter, Andy Dalton threw a dart to Cooper on a hitch route -- but Cooper had a bad drop that stalled the drive. That's a play any NFL receiver has to make, including someone trying to make the roster like Cooper.

Thanks to his training camp, Cooper earns the benefit of the doubt. He'll have other opportunities, but this wasn't an ideal start to the preseason.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is a starting LB in the NFL

This was established before Trotter even took the field on Saturday, but he showed how good he's been this summer. Getting the start in the preseason opener, Trotter Jr. had a sack in the first quarter and finished with five tackles (two solo) in 35 snaps.

“This is a guy that I believe is a STARTING linebacker in the NFL.”@RossTuckerNFL raves over Eagles LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.: pic.twitter.com/f12NQn8Ffd
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) August 15, 2026

Trotter was instinctive to the football and was blowing up the A-gap when the Eagles asked him to blitz. He'll be the No. 3 linebacker in Philadelphia, but he should start on a team somewhere.

He was the best player on the field.

Cole Payton didn't disappoint

Payton made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter of the preseason opener, and was the only quarterback that could inject life to the offense. Mop-up duty of not, Payton wasn't afraid to test the Ravens defense with his arm or his legs.

Payton was just 4-of-9 for 37 yards and a touchdown, a play he improvised to get Erik Ezukamna the football in the end zone. The legs were Payton's strength in college and he used them to run for a first down on fourth-and-3 form the Eagles' 48 yard line. On the 17-yard run, Payton had 28 yards post contact -- showcasing his power running the ball.

.@ColePayton9 finds @erikezukanma for the score! pic.twitter.com/TPPaNpgEAk
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 16, 2026

While Payton led the only scoring drive, he had three carries for 45 yards and 82 total yards in his two series. There were a lot of positives (the runs) and negatives (the poor throws) with Payton, but this is something to build upon.

Who is Brandon George?

The Eagles brought in George on Friday and agreed to a deal to being in the 2025 undrafted free agent to Philadelphia. George spent his rookie season with the Chiefs on injured reserve and was released in May.

George was officially signed Saturday afternoon and actually played in the game. He played on the kickoff team and actually recorded six tackles in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles need linebacker depth and George has a lot of athleticism that stands out on tape. He was a special teams standout at Pittsburgh and can make this roster on that unit.

The film may tell a different story, but George was making plays despite not even participating in a practice with the Eagles -- not even Friday's walkthrough. Quite impressive for a player just looking for a chance.

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