Sean Mannion’s comments reveal an uncomfortable truth about Andy Dalton’s future with the Eagles
Veteran quarterback’s days in Philadelphia are probably numbered after what he’s shown in the preseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback battle is heating up, and all signs point to Andy Dalton being on the outside looking in. Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion addressed the situation after practice, and his comments were about as telling as you can get without flat-out saying the words.
Andy Dalton’s experience is something he brings to the quarterback room, but the on-field evaluation will be the driving force when it comes to decisions.
That’s about as non-committal as it gets. And look, you can read between the lines here. Mannion doesn’t want to put the guy down because Dalton is a long-term veteran quarterback who has been in the league a while and is well respected. In a way, Mannion can relate to that, having been a career backup himself. But what he’s really saying is simple: whatever we see on the field, the production, that will decide it. And the production has not been there.
Practice reps tell the real story
I recently said that Andy Dalton needs to hang it up. He’s had a pretty good career, but he just can’t hit routine throws anymore. And what happened at practice only reinforced that. Tanner McKee got the second team reps in 11-on-11s. He stood right behind Jalen Hurts while the first team was on the field. Andy Dalton? He stood to the side.
That is a pretty clear indicator of how the coaching staff feels about Dalton’s standing on this roster.
If McKee starts the third preseason game, or even if Cole Payton gets the nod, we can all but confirm that Dalton will not be on this roster. And honestly, he shouldn’t be based on how he has played. The Eagles need guys behind Hurts who can actually execute if called upon, and right now Dalton is not that guy.
Philadelphia has decisions to make before final roster cuts, and the backup quarterback spot looks like one of the easier ones at this point. Dalton’s career has been a solid one, but his time with the Eagles appears to be running out.
