The Eagles’ 53-man roster turned a lot of heads for one simple reason: they kept four quarterbacks.
Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton, Tanner McKee and rookie Cole Payton are all set to be part of the mix in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders, a setup that feels unusual even in a league that has seen a few teams follow Philadelphia’s lead after training camp. It’s not exactly the kind of roster construction most fans expected, but it’s also not something Howie Roseman pulled out of nowhere. He said after the draft in April that this was on the table, and he doesn’t sound like he’s backing off that stance now.
Roseman explained his thinking when he met with the media for the first time since the roster was finalized.
“Four quarterbacks, the most important position in sports," Roseman said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "I feel like all those guys have value for our team.
Obviously, some is short-term value, some is long-term value when you think about Cole [Payton]. As we went through the process here, just thought it was the right thing to do for our football team.
“…It’s just such a valuable position. From our perspective, last year, obviously we took someone in the fifth round, let him go.
He left our practice squad to go somewhere else, traded for a sixth-round pick. These guys are valuable.
They take time to develop at the same time. That position is so valuable to this organization over a long period of time.
[We] want to be strong there and think both those guys behind Jalen [Hurts] have value, have shown that over the course of their careers. We kind of take all the information at our disposal to make all these decisions.”
Hurts and Payton were always easy to understand. The Eagles made that especially clear in the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, when Payton was used in a way that drew comparisons to how the New Orleans Saints have deployed Taysom Hill, including on special teams.
The tougher part for fans to swallow is the middle of the quarterback room. Roseman wouldn’t reveal who came out on top in the QB2 competition between Dalton and McKee, saying they were “keeping it to the vest” on that decision.
Even so, the numbers from the preseason didn’t exactly make the case for a clean answer. Dalton completed 51% of his passes for 168 yards and one touchdown. McKee posted a 63% completion rate with 263 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
That’s where the frustration starts to creep in. Carrying four quarterbacks means another part of the roster loses out, and there are spots on defense that could use the help. Safety and linebacker are two of the areas where the Eagles have more depth to work with, yet players like Chance Campbell are left on the practice squad.
Roseman may want the Eagles to keep building the reputation of a “QB Factory,” but the roster crunch is real. At some point, that factory may need to move a piece or two during the season, and Dalton or McKee looks like the most obvious trade possibility.
In Other News...
Howie Roseman Just Sent A Message To The Eagles CB Room
The Eagles kept working the bottom of the roster this week, adding former Ravens cornerback Robert Longerbeam to the practice squad as another depth piece for a group that has been under a microscope. Longerbeam, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, missed last season with a torn patellar tendon, but Philadelphia is giving itself another long look at a young defensive back with some draft pedigree.
Longerbeam was one of four practice-squad additions for the Eagles, alongside wide receiver Danny Gray, offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and running back Jaydon Blue. Its the kind of move that says the front office is still hunting for developmental upside at several spots, while keeping the cornerback room stocked with more options as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles May Have Quietly Solved A Roster Concern Behind The Starters
Howie Roseman went into the offseason with a familiar worry for a team built to protect the quarterback and control the line of scrimmage: the depth behind the Eagles starting interior offensive line. By the time Philadelphia set its initial 53-man roster, though, those concerns had eased. The starting five stayed intact, the team kept 10 offensive linemen, and the practice squad was stocked with even more insurance.
The shift came from the growth of a few young players, with Drew Kendall, Willie Lampkin and Micah Morris all showing enough progress to change the way the front office views the back end of the unit. Roseman also pointed to offensive line coach Chris Kuper for getting that group ready to step in if needed, which matters for a team that knows how quickly injury can turn line depth from a talking point into a necessity. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Roster Cuts Just Changed More Than Fans Might Realize
A routine round of NFL roster cuts has already had a ripple effect around the Eagles locker room, with several players now wearing different jersey numbers simply because certain digits opened up. For a team that tracks every detail of training camp and roster construction, those changes are more than cosmetic. They affect how players are identified on the field, how fans follow along and, in some cases, which numbers have become available across the active roster, injured reserve and practice squad.
The number shuffling also offers a small window into how fluid this part of the roster can be in late summer, when availability can change quickly and players have to adjust on the fly. Some of the assignments are straightforward, while others invite speculation about what players prefer and whether those choices could evolve again as the roster keeps settling in. It is a minor detail on paper, but for a team still sorting out its final look, even the jerseys tell part of the story. [Read more 🡒]