Why Eagles are more likely to trade Andy Dalton, not Tanner McKee

The Philadelphia Eagles have Jalen Hurts as their starting quarterback and have Day 3 rookie Cole Payton as their fourth QB on the depth chart right now.

But with the Eagles potentially preferring to keep the cheap rookie long-term, it might make more sense to move on from either Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee this summer. So, which is more likely to go?

As Zach Berman of The Athletic notes, Dalton is more likely to be traded for a simple reason: he's a much better plug-and-play QB than McKee due to their difference in experience in the NFL.

Eagles more likely to trade Dalton than McKee for experience reasons

"I don't anticipate the Eagles will keep both McKee and Dalton, and I still believe Dalton has more trade value at this time of year," Berman writes. "... In August, a 16-year veteran with 169 career starts would be more appealing to a team seeking a patchwork solution - if either is traded."

The Eagles could end up keeping both and cut Payton. Or they could just release Dalton. But if there is a QB more likely to generate trade interest, it would be Dalton.

It makes sense, as the veteran QB has been around the league for a long time, playing with five different teams and making 169 career starts.

MORE: Eagles might've already found their Lane Johnson heir after 6-foot-9 rookie Markell Bell

McKee, while maybe the higher-upside QB as he's still just 26 years old, has made just two starts in the NFL, both coming at the end of the regular season in meaningless games.

If a team is going to trade for one of the Eagles' quarterbacks right before the 2026 season, it's more likely to be Dalton than McKee.

For example, if the Atlanta Falcons need an emergency starting QB this season due to an injury that occurred in the preseason, Dalton might be their best option. The same would go for just about any team with a question-mark QB depth chart behind their No. 1 starter.

The Eagles might not end up trading any of their QBs this summer, but if one's going to go, Dalton appears to be the more likely trade candidate.

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