Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/5n6vwwsd
Originally published Aug. 31, 2026
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles may have a crowded quarterback room this season.
During their initial 53-man roster cutdowns, which were due to the league by Sunday at 6 p.m., the Birds kept Tanner McKee, Andy Dalton and rookie Cole Payton behind Jalen Hurts.
General manager Howie Roseman said this was a possibility following the NFL draft in April, when he selected the athletic Payton in the fifth round out of North Dakota State.
“It’s the most important position in sports,” Roseman reiterated Monday. “I feel like all those guys have value for our team. Some of them, obviously, some is short-term value, some is long-term value when you think about Cole. And so just as we went through the process here, just thought it was the right thing to do for our football team.
“Last year, obviously, we took someone in the (sixth) round (referencing QB Kyle McCord), let him go. He left our practice squad to go somewhere else. … You know, these guys are valuable.”
McCord signed on with the Green Bay Packers in January, excelled this preseason, and was traded to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday to be their backup quarterback.
McKee, 26, has been battling against 38-year-old veteran Andy Dalton this summer for the Eagles’ backup QB job — a position McKee held last year after taking it over late in the 2024 season.
“I feel like it’s a good room,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “Each guy brings something.”
Still, with the Birds’ Sept. 13 season opener nearly two weeks away, a QB move here wouldn’t be surprising.
Greenard ramping up
Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, whom the Eagles acquired from Minnesota and signed to an extension in the spring, is on the roster and off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He’s recovering from a pectoral injury he suffered while weightlifting just before training camp.
“We anticipate him playing sooner rather than later,” Roseman said. “What that timetable is, again, we’ll keep close to the vest. The guy’s a tremendous football player. He’s got a tremendous ability to affect the quarterback. He’s going to come back in tremendous shape. I think that you saw the D-line’s obviously a position of emphasis for us, always.”
Robinson on the rise
Second-year defensive tackle Ty Robinson, who was a lynchpin for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, made the team after coming on strong as camp progressed. He was a non-factor with the Eagles last year and had a bumpy start to this summer.
“He came to life,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “He’s been on life support since he’s been here, but he came to life and hopefully that will continue.”
International program
The Eagles waived defensive tackle Uar Bernard from Nigeria and edge rusher Josh Weru from Kenya, whom they selected through the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP). Fangio said during camp they were “miles away” from being ready for football at this level, and they were raw in preseason games.
Roseman gambled that they’d clear waivers so he could keep one or both of them on the practice squad, and they both did. (The NFL allows 16 players on a practice squad, plus an additional IPP player who doesn’t count against the 16.)
“I don’t know that there’s a comfort level in exposing anyone (to waivers),” Roseman said. “We’re not sitting there and cutting anyone and going, ‘Woo-hoo, you know this guy we’re definitely getting back!’
“You don’t know what other teams are thinking. We put a lot of time and effort during this week, not only to looking what’s going to be out there, but by taking snapshots of what other teams are seeing our guys and saying they don’t have the practices. They don’t have the individual periods.
“They don’t have these guys in the meeting rooms, just like we don’t when we’re looking at other guys. So going back and watching the tape and just evaluating the tape and what other teams are seeing. And that’s not an exact science.”
Practice squad
Vested veterans who were released became immediately eligible to sign with any team, either on an active roster or practice squad. Younger players who were waived could be claimed by other teams Monday by approximately 1 p.m. or, if they cleared waivers, be re-signed by the Eagles.
Four waived Eagles players were signed by other teams: TE/FB Cam Latu (Patriots), T Cam Williams (Falcons), OL Myles Hinton (Bengals) and DB Kapena Gushiken (Colts).
Roseman ruminated about losing those four guys (the most claimed in the league).
“Certainly didn’t want to get four guys claimed,” he said. “We always anticipate that the rate of claims in the league is about 4 percent. Certainly those percentages didn’t apply to our roster over this weekend, unfortunately. But that’s the risk of doing business and don’t feel good about that. Don’t feel good about losing those guys. That doesn’t feel great.”
S/ST Andre’ Sam (leg/foot) came back and went on IR. He suffered the injury in the final preseason game.
The Eagles signed the following players to their practice squad Monday (they have three spots left, including one international designation): DT Uar Bernard, LB Chance Campbell, WR Britain Covey, DT Gabe Hall, OLB Keyshawn James-Newby, C/G Jake Majors, T John Ojukwu, RB Dameon Pierce, S Maximus Pulley, OLB Mason Reiger, RB Carson Steele, OLB Joshua Weru, S Cole Wisniewski
Active roster
On the active roster, the Eagles kept 27 men on offense, 23 on defense and the three specialists. Here’s who made the Eagles’ active 53-man roster by position group:
Offense
QB: Hurts, McKee, Dalton, Payton.
RB: Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley.
TE: Dallas Goedert, second-round rookie Eli Stowers, Johnny Mundt, E.J. Jenkins, plus Grant Calcaterra on injured reserve/designated for return.
WR: DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, Darius Cooper, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore.
OL: LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Cam Jurgens, RG Tyler Steen, RT Lane Johnson, third-round rookie Markel Bell, Drew Kendall, Willie Lampkin, Fred Johnson, Micah Morris.
Defense
DT: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Ty Robinson.
EDGE: Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, A.J. Espenesa, Arnold Ebiketie.
LB: Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon Jr.
CB: Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo, Mac McWilliams, Jonathan Jones, plus Jakorian Bennett on injured reserve/designated for return.
S: Andrew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II.
Special teams
K/P: Jake Elliott, Braden Mann.
LS: Rocco Underwood.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.