Eagles' Howie Roseman Explains the Andy Dalton Trade : 'We Always Like Having Three QBs'

The Eagles’ trade for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton earlier this month raised eyebrows.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) warms up before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Nearly $4 Million for a QB3 with 169 Career Starts?

The Eagles’ trade for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton earlier this month raised eyebrows using conventional NFL logic — especially among those floating rumors of a potential Tanner McKee trade who may not fully appreciate Howie Roseman’s well-known obsession with premium insurance at the game’s most important position.

“You’re one injury away from being one injury away,” Roseman said at the NFL’s Annual Meeting on Sunday in Phoenix. “We take that seriously.”

For the first time, the Eagles well-regarded GM explained the reasoning behind the Dalton acquisition, which sent a 2027 seventh-round pick to Carolina for the 38-year-old “Red Rifle.”

“Independent of Tanner,” Roseman said. “We’ve talked about how much we like Tanner. I thought it was a good opportunity for us to bring in Andy — a guy that we’ve known for a long time, a guy that’s going to add a lot on and off the field.”

Dalton does bring 15 years of NFL experience to Philadelphia, including time spent with new Eagles quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier in Carolina.

“He can still throw it. He can still really make quick decisions,” Roseman said of Dalton. “We’ve liked him for a long time, and we always like having three QBs.”

Even with that context, however, paying nearly $4 million for what would be one of the most accomplished QB3s in recent NFL history still seemed expensive on the surface. That part was explained too.

Making Sense Of An Unconventional Trade

Eagles QB Tanner McKee at Eagles training camp on July 29, 2025. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

The Panthers restructured Dalton’s contract prior to the trade, converting part of his 2026 base salary into a bonus that was paid immediately. As a result, the Eagles will only owe the veteran quarterback $1.5 million for the upcoming season.

The move also gives Philadelphia added flexibility. If a strong offer for McKee materializes later in the process, the Eagles can now move Jalen Hurts’ valued backup knowing that 2026 is the final year of McKee’s rookie contract with the assurance that a solid backup remains.

At the end of the day, the Eagles now have high-level insurance with McKee as the primary backup and proven competency from the backup to the backup — all at a very manageable cost.