Spring Surprise: Is Andy Dalton Emerging As QB2 For The Eagles?

PHILADELPHIA — Through the narrow window reporters have had into Eagles spring practices, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton has served as Jalen Hurts’ primary backup, with fourth-year quarterback Tanner McKee taking the backseat.

Despite the Eagles’ insistence that Dalton and McKee are alternating backup reps during voluntary OTAs, the only two open practices with prying eyes have featured Dalton exclusively as QB2.

Team officials chalk it up to the luck of the draw, noting their Tuesday-Wednesday-Friday schedule during Memorial Day week. McKee presumably handled the bulk of the work on Tuesday and Friday, while Dalton’s normal Monday turn simply slid to Tuesday this week. The final spring OTA session is scheduled for Thursday.

The optics are hard to ignore. If the Eagles are seriously shopping McKee as trade bait ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, keeping the strong-armed Stanford product largely out of sight doesn’t exactly drum up interest. Meanwhile, while Dalton’s rocky debut as Philadelphia’s practice backup last week drew little attention due to poor play that changed dramatically on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old "Red Rifle" looked sharp and decisive, out-processing Hurts never mind McKee and rookie Cole Payton. Dalton carved up the twos on defense with crisp, on-time outs along the left sideline, dropped a perfectly placed seam ball to a surging E.J. Jenkins (who has been one of the spring’s pleasant surprises), and ripped a zone-beater to Elijah Moore in the middle of the field.

Dalton capped his strong day by firing a strike to Hollywood Brown on the back line of the end zone during a two-point conversion “win-the-game” scenario.

Unexpected QB Battle

Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee talks with reporters after an impressive performance in beating the Bengals in the preseason opener. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

By contrast, McKee’s day with the third team was forgettable. His most notable moment was getting PBU'd by a fly-swatter dummy. The lengthy quarterback also had an underneath throw broken up by undrafted rookie Kapena Gushiken, tailed an ugly ball into the dirt over the middle, and produced little else of note beyond a short completion on a quick out route to Danny Gray in the two-point drill.

There’s still plenty of offseason football ahead — two days of mandatory minicamp next week and a full training camp in July — but the early reps have already shifted the conversation.

The Eagles acquired Dalton in a March trade with the Carolina Panthers, sending a 2027 seventh-round draft pick back to Charlotte.

While the Eagles may continue rotating the Dalton and McKee as the QB2, it’s increasingly conceivable that Dalton has already seized the job.

“I think what you get with that position is someone that's been in similar systems in the past," passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard said of Dalton. "So, a lot like someone was asking about [me] being a voice box for [offensive coordinator] Sean [Mannion]. If, say, he's over here and somebody's asking a question on this side, I think Andy can do the same.

"If Makai Lemon’s asking him a question about something, he knows he's been in it long enough to know, ‘OK, this is why we're converting this route. This is why these routes stack up together. This is why you're in that split.’ And I think you get that from somebody that's played that long and played so well for that many years.”

Dalton's poise, accuracy, and quick decision-making are giving the coaching staff valuable insurance behind Hurts, while McKee will need to show significant improvement — and fast — if he hopes to remain in the conversation to be the backup.

Add us as a preferred source on Google