Eagles trade for veteran QB Andy Dalton, send Panthers a seventh-round pick
Could the acquisition of Dalton portend a forthcoming move involving 2025 backup Tanner McKee?
A rifle and a missile in the same quarterback room? The quarterback factory is stocking up on arms. At least for now.
The Eagles acquired Andy Dalton on Wednesday afternoon from the Carolina Panthers for a 2027 seventh-round pick, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer.
Dalton, whose nickname is the “Red Rifle,” had been with the Panthers as a backup for the last three seasons. After a run as a starter in Cincinnati, Dallas, Chicago, and New Orleans, Dalton, 38, has turned into a steady backup option for the back end of his NFL career.
It’s unclear if acquiring Dalton means anything for the future of Tanner McKee (aka the “Mormon Missile”). The Eagles backup quarterback is entering the final year of his contract and it’s possible the team could be trying to acquire an asset for him rather than allowing him to walk for free after the season.
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Dalton, a three-time Pro Bowler, gives the Eagles three quarterbacks on the 2026 roster. He saw action in just four games in 2025, the bulk of which came in a Week 8 start. In that game, a 40-9 Panthers loss to Buffalo, Dalton completed 16 of 24 passes for 175 yards while throwing an interception and taking seven sacks.
Dalton started five games in 2024 and had a 66.3% competition percentage with seven touchdowns against six interceptions. He is under contract through the 2026 season.
The Eagles had an open third spot on the roster with Sam Howell, last year’s third quarterback on the depth chart, becoming a free agent. They also lost practice squad quarterback Kyle McCord, a sixth-round pick last year, to Green Bay.
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If the Eagles are indeed shopping McKee, they could choose to bring another veteran backup to camp and select another quarterback on the third day of the draft. If they end up keeping him, they’ll have an experienced group of quarterbacks under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion.
Before the NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Howie Roseman was asked about the market McKee might have and if the Eagles would try to shop him.
“I can’t speak to what everyone else thinks of our players,” he said. “I know what we think of our players. That’s always been a position that we’ve put a great deal of priority on, to have a backup quarterback that we have a lot of confidence in, and we have a lot of confidence in him. ... My job is to listen to anything about anyone. Whether I pull the trigger is a totally different story.”