One pass was all Andy Dalton got in a regular-season game for the Philadelphia Eagles, and it turned out to be enough to cost him his spot. It came at the worst possible moment, with Philadelphia knocking on the door, and it changed how the team saw its backup. Within days, he went from QB2 to QB3. Now, the Eagles have decided they’ve seen enough and moved on from the veteran altogether.
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“Report: Eagles to release Andy Dalton,” Pro Football Talk posted on X.
After practice on Friday afternoon (October 9), the team cut ties with Andy Dalton, which trims the quarterback room down to three. Tanner McKee and Cole Payton will now back up Jalen Hurts as the Eagles get ready to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.
Dalton originally won the backup job, but it didn’t last long. His time in Philadelphia came down to a single appearance in the Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears, a 27-7 defeat. Hurts left to be evaluated for a concussion; Dalton came in, and he threw an interception in the end zone. Hurts was cleared to return afterward, but the damage was done.
McKee was elevated to No. 2 in Week 4 against the Rams, pushing Dalton to QB3.
Dalton later explained that he didn’t initially expect to throw and called it a “costly decision.”
“I thought they said something for an injury timeout,” Dalton said. “So I thought that I was going to be going in just at least for one play because I didn’t know exactly what it was. … We get down there, I can’t put ourselves in a bad position like that. I mean, costly turnover at a tough time, man. That’s points on the board.”
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media didn’t specify how McKee and Payton line up on the depth chart, but he did note that Dalton’s story may not be over. Philadelphia could still bring him back, either on the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
The experience gap in the room is big. Dalton started 169 games across 16 seasons from 2011 to 2026, while McKee has just two starts. Payton, a fifth-round rookie, has yet to appear in a regular season game.
Dalton was in his first season in Philadelphia after spending the past three years as a depth option for the Carolina Panthers. The Eagles acquired him in March for a seventh-round pick.
He played in three preseason games, going 18 of 35 for 168 yards and a touchdown without being picked off.
His exit is just one piece of a busy week. The team also faced a major change on the offensive line, with right tackle Lane Johnson announcing his retirement Tuesday. In addition to that, two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens was traded to the Ravens along with a future pick in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder.
On top of all that, injuries are stacking up. When the Eagles take on the AFC South-leading Jaguars in London on Sunday, they’ll be missing several key weapons.
Eagles ruled out five players ahead of Week 5 matchup
The Eagles head to London for Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a long list of absences. Friday’s final injury report ruled out five players, including Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Drew Kendall, Marcus Epps, and Hollywood Brown.
Barkley was sidelined throughout the week because of a hamstring injury, while Bigsby remained on injured reserve with an abdominal issue. The Eagles brought in Carson Steele to bolster the position, leaving them with three healthy running backs. Will Shipley will be the RB1 on Sunday, with Steele and Dameon Pierce rotating in behind him.
At receiver, Smith misses a second game in a row with a hamstring injury, and Brown is out with an ankle problem. That leaves five wideouts: Dontayvion Wicks, Darius Cooper, Makai Lemon, Elijah Moore, and Britain Covey.
Up front, Kendall’s absence leaves the Eagles leaning on their third-string center. Jake Majors gets the call from the practice squad and will be the starting center, according to ESPN’s Tim McManus, who reported that Philadelphia elevated two practice squad players.
It’s a big ask for Majors, a 2025 undrafted rookie who has never played in a regular-season game and didn’t look sharp during training camp this summer.
On defense, Epps is out for a second straight game. Andrew Mukuba and Cooper DeJean will start at safety. In nickel, DeJean moves to the slot and Michael Carter II drops back to safety.
Overall, Philadelphia will lean heavily on depth across the board in London.