Eagles Forced To Show Backup QB Hand: Why Nick Sirianni Chose Andy Dalton

PHILADELPHIA- Game day and the inactives has forced the Eagles to show their hand. After a round and round session all week between reporters and head coach Nick Sirianni about who would be the backup to Jalen Hurts, it finally came to light 90 minutes before kickoff against the Washington Commanders.

It’s Andy Dalton. It’s not Tanner McKee, who was the top backup last year ahead of Sam Howell. Sirianni chose not to let anyone know that it would be Dalton, citing competitive advantage.

“We want everybody to compete and to work their butt off,” said the coach. “I don't think there's a negative to have them both preparing as if they're the No. 2. When we make decisions of when to tell guys certain things, again, we make that decision for what's best for our football team and then we move on from there. Both those guys had to prepare this entire week as if they're the number two quarterback. I don't see a negative in that.”

If the quarterbacks were to be believed when they spoke during the week, they truly had no idea who would be the backup.

“It's what we've been doing this whole time, so I guess it's nothing new at this point,” said Dalton. “We're handling it the same as that we've handled it from the beginning.”

Dalton will turn 39 at the end of October. He is entering his 16th season.

Tanner McKee Will Serve As Emergency QB

McKee is in the final year of his rookie contract and will likely move on after the season, unless the Eagles want to give him a fair market-value deal. McKee could also be traded at some point. He never seemed to get comfortable in the new scheme of offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, though Dalton could be traded, too.

“I feel like any time that you can learn a new offense as a quarterback, I think is great,” said McKee. “Just seeing different perspective because, like for the most part, you run similar plays. It’s how you're gonna read it, what's the window dressing before and after the play.?

“The plays are generally similar but just having a different way of looking at them or reading a different guy or how, tagging this on the backside instead of the front side, I feel like is very eye-opening for a quarterback and it just allows you to grow as a football player.”

The backup quarterback job is more or less an afterthought because the hope is Hurts won’t get hurt and play the entire game – on Sunday or the entire season. Things happen, though, as we saw with Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in the season opener on Wednesday.

Darnold suffered a hip injury after five plays and didn’t return, yielding to backup Drew Lock, who guided Seattle to a win over the Patriots.

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