PHI Andy Dalton
NFL quarterback. Position: QB. Team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Quick Facts
- Position: QB
- Team: Philadelphia Eagles
- Age: 38
- NFL Experience: 15 seasons, 169 starts, ~40,000 passing yards
2026 Outlook
Veteran backup acquired from Carolina Panthers before 2026 season to compete with Tanner McKee for the No. 2 role in Philadelphia. Dalton brings extensive experience diagnosing coverage, managing pressure, and making quick decisions. His strength lies in command and accuracy rather than dynamic play—the Eagles value his ability to avoid costly mistakes when asked to fill in. In preseason, Dalton is competing against McKee for trust in Sean Mannion's system and with the Eagles' skill positions. Success requires demonstrating comfort in the offense and handling defensive pressure without creating turnovers (per Eagles backup quarterback battle moves into preseason spotlight).
Through two preseason games, Dalton has been the starter but hasn't yet separated himself from McKee. Against New England (Aug 23), he went 3-for-10 for 44 yards and a TD, leading the opening drive scoring but then losing snaps to McKee, who showed more consistency. (per Eagles vs. Patriots backup QB battle)
In the preseason finale against Cincinnati, Dalton showed improvement relative to McKee's poor outing (12-of-22, 55 yards). While Dalton didn't light up the stat sheet, he was "still far and away an improvement over McKee," according to HC Nick Sirianni's postgame assessment. Sirianni expressed confidence in both backup options, noting "I feel like it's a good room" (per Eagles news: Nick Sirianni believes QB2 battle is in 'good spot' amid preseason shakiness).
The competition was short-lived. In his only regular-season appearance (Week 3 vs. Chicago), Dalton replaced Hurts for a concussion evaluation and threw an interception to rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. The Eagles immediately promoted McKee ahead of him on the depth chart. Within weeks, the Eagles released Dalton entirely, making him a free agent and ending his brief tenure in Philadelphia (per Former Panthers QB Andy Dalton Gets Unfortunate NFL News With Eagles).
Role / Depth Chart
Backup QB competing for No. 2 role behind Jalen Hurts. Preseason performance vs. Tanner McKee will determine depth chart position.
Recent News
- 2026-10-10 — Eagles release Pro Bowl quarterback Andy Dalton after just one disastrous pass in loss (Eagles release Pro Bowl quarterback Andy Dalton after just one disastrous pass in loss)
- 2026-10-09 — Andy Dalton Reportedly Released by Eagles After Cam Jurgens Trade, Lane Johnson's... (Andy Dalton Reportedly Released by Eagles After Cam Jurgens Trade, Lane Johnson's...)
- 2026-10-09 — Former Panthers QB Andy Dalton Gets Unfortunate NFL News With Eagles (Former Panthers QB Andy Dalton Gets Unfortunate NFL News With Eagles)
- 2026-10-09 — Former Bengals Pro Bowl QB Andy Dalton Hit With Sudden Release by Eagles (Former Bengals Pro Bowl QB Andy Dalton Hit With Sudden Release by Eagles)
- 2026-10-09 — Eagles release QB Andy Dalton after costly pick, demotion (Eagles release QB Andy Dalton after costly pick, demotion)
- 2026-10-09 — Sources - Eagles release Andy Dalton after costly pick, demotion (Sources - Eagles release Andy Dalton after costly pick, demotion)
- 2026-10-09 — Eagles releasing QB Andy Dalton: Possible landing spots for the signal caller include... (Eagles releasing QB Andy Dalton: Possible landing spots for the signal caller include...)
- 2026-08-23 — Roob's Instant Observations: McKee outplays Dalton in Eagles' preseason loss (Roob's Instant Observations: McKee outplays Dalton in Eagles' preseason loss)
- 2026-08-13 — Eagles backup QB competition heats up in preseason: Dalton vs. McKee (Eagles backup quarterback battle moves into preseason spotlight)