Eagles Trade For Andy Dalton To Be Jalen Hurts’ Backup

The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired quarterback Andy Dalton in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.

The Eagles will give the Panthers a 2027 seventh-round pick. The Eagles will be the sixth team in Dalton’s decade-long career.

Dalton has played the past three seasons with the Panthers. He’s played in 13 games and has 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. 

Dalton was drafted in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Dalton made three Pro Bowls with the Bengals. His best season was 2015, when he threw 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was not named to the Pro Bowl after missing the last three games with an injury.

Since leaving the Bengals after 2019, Dalton has largely served in a backup role. The one exception came in 2022 with the New Orleans Saints. Dalton threw 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 14 games. 

When Dalton was at his best with the Bengals, he was working with Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator. Jackson’s offensive system relied on power running and attacking with passes to the backfield. 

The Eagles hired former QB Sean Mannion to be the new offensive coordinator. Mannion plans to implement a modern offense with lots of play-action. This system is designed to speed up the offense, unlike Jackson, who wanted to create big plays.

Ultimately, the system is designed to start QB Jalen Hurts, not Dalton. This system will likely be very beneficial to Hurts, but if Dalton had to play for an extended period, he may feel out of place. 

NFL training camps will begin in July. Dalton will be competing with Tanner McKee for the backup QB spot. McKee was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. McKee has played in six games and has five touchdowns and one interception.