Why Eagles Rookie QB Cole Payton Embraces Innovative Tools To Sharpen His Game

PHILADELPHIA — Eagles rookie quarterback Cole Payton is getting an up-close look at the game — literally — thanks to a helmet-mounted camera and virtual reality training as he works to earn a roster spot in a crowded quarterback room.

The fifth-round pick out of North Dakota State said Saturday that he had never worn a helmet camera until arriving in South Philadelphia while calling the technology a helpful tool in the meeting room.

“This is the first time [I’ve worn it],” Payton said. “And it’s pretty cool when sometimes the angle’s funny, like you’re seeing the clouds or you’re seeing our feet, but when the angle’s right, I think it’s beneficial.”

The part of the innovation few think about is the audio and what that provides.

“And then it’s cool because you can hear the audio, too,” said Payton. “In these wide views, in the endzone views, you can’t hear the audio of what we’re saying, but you can on these helmet cams, you can hear the audio, so you know exactly what we’re saying, the checks we’re making, feedback, and so it’s a cool tool to have.”

Beyond reviewing his own play, Payton noted the value of hearing the full huddle communication from veterans.

“Yeah, it’s been really cool. And not only for myself, but just to hear what Jalen [Hurts] is saying in the huddle, what Andy [Dalton]’s saying in the huddle and Tanner [McKee] and the reminders they’re giving to the guys and just how crisp and clean the operation needs to be,” the rookie noted. “And so we’re working and we’re building.”

Extra Work

Cole Payton gets in extra work with quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier after practice on Aug. 7, 2026. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

While Payton gets minimal reps behind three veterans, he’s found other avenues to get in work. On Wednesday, he was working with offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier while throwing to tight end Stone Smartt after practice.

“I think it’s after practice staying here,” Payton said when asked about overcoming the sparse repetitions. “It’s on our off days. We’ve got a VR [Virtual reality] set that Coach Frazier introduced to me. And so it’s seeing things through the VR set, getting those mental visualization reps, and it’s just all the prep and post-practice and then on the off days.”

The VR system allows Payton to take mental reps by immersing himself in simulated game environments.

The technology is similar to what was featured in the Netflix “Quarterback” documentary and used by Washington’s Jayden Daniels in the latest season of the show.

“You put it on and you can pick whatever stadium you want and it feels like you’re in, like the Linc, for example, and then you’ve got play calls,” Payton said. “You’re breaking the huddle and you’re getting a mental rep. It’s not like live footage, but it’s animated, and it’s a good, really good tool to visualize and see things.”

The dual-threat left-hander, selected No. 178 overall in April after a standout senior season at NDSU where he threw for 16 touchdowns and added 13 more scores on the ground, continues to develop under Mannion and Frazier.

A gunslinger who likes to let it rip, Payton understands he will need to develop a better balance. To date, he’s thrown five interceptions in practice despite the low number of reps.

"I mean, I've got a lot of confidence in throwing the football. But you know in the NFL these windows are a lot tighter,” Payton said. “And so I got to take care of the football. I've thrown a few picks. But yeah, there's that balance of knowing when to strike and knowing when to take a check down.”

The innovative tools appear to be aiding Payton’s transition from raw prospect to potential developmental breakthrough as the Eagles push through training camp.

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