Eagles To Release QB Andy Dalton

Dalton had won the Eagles’ second-string job entering the season, but Garafolo indicated before Week 4 Nick Sirianni had reversed course and reinstalled McKee as Hurts’ top backup. Dalton being demoted to QB3 in an age-39 season will lead to an in-season exit, and perhaps a path to a seventh NFL team will form for the former Bengals cornerstone.

This marks the second time a team has cut Dalton. The Bengals moved on after the 2020 draft, when they replaced their longtime starter with Joe Burrow. Dalton played on one-year deals for the Cowboys, Bears and Saints from 2020-22 before signing a two-year, $8MM pact with the Panthers before their Bryce Young investment. The Eagles will take on roughly $1MM in dead money by cutting Dalton.

While this decision certainly could lead the 16th-year veteran elsewhere, Garafolo adds the Eagles may still have the passer in their plans. A move down to Philadelphia’s practice squad is in play. Dalton would not need to clear waivers, as vested veterans pass straight to free agency before the trade deadline. The Eagles are battling injury issues on offense, and while they cleared two roster spots via the seismic Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens developments this week, roster space became necessary to the point it superseded the luxury of a four-quarterback roster.

A brief Hurts injury examination brought Dalton into the Eagles’ Week 3 game against the Bears. The backup threw an end zone interception to his former team, helping to ignite a Chicago Monday-night romp. Dalton had settled in as a reliable QB2 for years, most notably serving as Young’s backup for the better part of three seasons. When Dalton was not in place as Carolina’s No. 2 signal-caller, he was making starts for a benched Young in 2024.

The Eagles swung a trade for Dalton in mid-March, sending the Panthers a 2027 seventh-round pick. A lengthy backup competition ensued, and Dalton had initially replaced McKee — Hurts’ backup last season. The Eagles had resisted trade interest in McKee for a while, and they opted to go with four QBs on the 53-man roster — after drafting Payton in the fifth round — rather than move on from one of the veterans. McKee’s rookie contract expires at season’s end.

Both illustrating Dalton’s dependability and how far the NFL has leaned toward the passing game compared to prior eras, Dalton ranks 23rd all time in pass attempts (5,652) and 27th in yardage (39,793). He is less than 500 yards away from Colts legend Johnny Unitas and less than 800 away from fellow Hall of Famer Joe Montana. The latter spot on the league’s all-time list may not be within Dalton’s reach at this point, though it is not too difficult to see a team expressing interest in the 169-start player for a backup role.

A 2023 sixth-round pick, McKee has impressed at points during his Eagles rookie deal. Though, the team acquiring Dalton from Carolina — which preferred free agent Kenny Pickett to Dalton for the 2026 season — poured some cold water on McKee’s rise. McKee is a career 61.4% passer (6.8 yards per attempt) who is 1-1 as a starter. The Stanford product carries a 5:1 TD-INT ratio in limited duty.

A Hurts injury would give McKee a chance to boost his free agency stock, and with Dalton gone (for now, at least), it seems unlikely the Eagles — their transactional M.O. notwithstanding — will trade McKee before the deadline.