Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/zwfr9jkv
Originally published Aug. 29, 2026
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles seem no closer to deciding on their backup quarterback — a position the organization prioritizes — after wrapping up a winless preseason with a 30-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
Tanner McKee, coming off a solid performance a week earlier in New England, got the start over Andy Dalton. On the first play from scrimmage, he hit Makai Lemon on a three-yard play-action pass to the right side, rolling that way from under center.
The first-round rookie receiver, who missed most of camp with a hamstring injury, drew a nice cheer from the crowd.
McKee targeted Lemon two plays later on a deep throw down the right sideline, but it was broken up by Cincinnati cornerback Tacario Davis.
The missed connection was a sign of things to come.
McKee, 26, was given the entire first half to ostensibly lock down the QB2 job behind Jalen Hurts, which he seemed to take a hold of against the Patriots, but Friday only raised more questions.
He finished 12 of 22 for 55 yards with an interception and was sacked twice. He had a 41.1 passer rating. And with McKee taking the snaps, the Birds converted just 3 of 8 third downs.
“Obviously, had some frustrations, had some balls I wish I could have back,” McKee said. “I just wish we would’ve executed a little better, specifically me.”
Dalton took over after halftime and played virtually until the end, and he was generally in command. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 104 yards with a touchdown to Carson Steele.
“I think just being comfortable in everything that we’re doing,” Dalton, who will turn 39 in October, said of his preseason overall. “Having a good understanding of the little things that go into playing this position. I felt really comfortable out there, especially tonight. I felt like I was in a good place.”
The Eagles have long valued the backup quarterback position, even before Nick Foles led them to their first Super Bowl championship in the 2017-18 season. Various stints included Koy Detmer, A.J. Feeley, Jeff Garcia, Kevin Kolb, Mike Vick (fresh out of prison), Vince Young, Mark Sanchez (yes, him) and Chase Daniel. Plus they drafted Hurts when they still had Carson Wentz.
“I feel good about both guys,” head coach Nick Sirianni said of McKee and Dalton. “I feel like it’s a good room and I feel good about (QB) Cole (Payton) and the things that he can do as well and be able to develop.”
Notable about Payton: The Eagles tried him on special teams in punt coverage.
“He’s a great athlete and we wanted to be able to see some things with him,” Sirianni said. “If you can find something in there — and he’d been working on that in practice and in walkthroughs to get himself ready. Give him an opportunity to go out there and make some plays.”
The Eagles drafted Payton (6-3, 232) in the fifth round out of North Dakota State in April. They weren’t necessarily looking for a quarterback in that spot, but felt he was the best player on the board. In addition to completing 72 percent of his passes in his senior season with the Bison, he ran for 777 yards.
Speaking of QBs
Quarterback Kyle McCord — an Eagles sixth-round pick a year ago, who graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep before playing in college at Ohio State and Syracuse — threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns in the Green Bay Packers’ 42-38 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Friday. He played the entire game, didn’t throw an interception and had a passer rating of 119.5.
“He was just so poised in his ability to operate and function,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “He definitely has the demeanor, no doubt about it. He’s in total control out there. And he’s willing to stand in the pocket, deliver in the face of pressure.”
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound McCord, who grew up in Mount Laurel, N.J., didn’t throw a pick the entire preseason. Overall, in three games, he was 46 of 70 for 446 yards with the four TDs and a passer rating of 102.4.
In college, Ohio State coach Ryan Day refused to commit to him after he went 11-1 as a junior in 2023, so he transferred to Syracuse to play for Fran Brown, a Camden native whom he had known since youth football. At Syracuse, McCord set single-season school records in multiple QB categories.
He spent last season on the Eagles’ practice squad but they didn’t renew his deal. Green Bay signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January.
Sour debut for Lemon
It was the NFL debut for Lemon, the Eagles’ 20th overall pick out of USC, even though it was preseason. Because of his hamstring issue dating back to the spring, he hadn’t had much time to get in sync with the offense, despite remaining engaged and doing mental reps.
He finished with three catches for just three yards on five targets. And McKee’s interception was a ball Lemon should have had, even though the QB said the throw could have been better.
“It’s a drop,” Lemon said. “It hit my hands. It went through my hands. I gotta catch them. … Dropping the ball like that — glad it happened in the preseason so come around September things like that won’t happen.”
The Eagles sent him out to field a punt in the fourth quarter. It was a bouncer, which he initially stayed away from, but then he mishandled it and was immediately tackled.
“Punts aren’t always going to be right to you,” Lemon said. “I just got to make sure I stay on my task, stay ready.”
Tough injury for Andre’ Sam
Safety Andre’ Sam was carted off with a leg injury with 2:26 left in the third quarter. He’d been having a dynamic game, with two fumble recoveries — one on defense and one on special teams — and a forced fumble on defense to go along with three tackles and a pass defended.
“We’ll see (what tests reveal), Sirianni said. “I haven’t talked to the doctors yet, but he was playing his butt off, that’s for sure.”
The Eagles signed Sam as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2024. He has seen limited time on the active roster but has clearly been developing as an impactful player.
Notes
● Wide receiver Darius Cooper didn’t dress for the game, signaling he’ll make the roster after an impressive camp.
● Inside linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who would start for most teams but is a rotational contributor here behind Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell, didn’t dress for the game either. He had played in the first two preseason contests to get reps he wasn’t getting in practice.
● Eagles kicker Jake Elliott was 2-for-2 on field goals, nailing a 45-yarder to close the first half and a 56-yarder early in the third quarter.
● Braden Mann boomed five punts averaging 49.8 yards, including a 60-yarder.
● Steele turned in another compelling performance and maybe, perhaps, possibly has carved out a roster spot as a hybrid fullback. Though he gained just 24 yards on eight runs, he caught eight passes for 52 yards and the TD.
● Running back Dameon Pierce continued his case to make the roster. He highlighted a 10-play, 49-yard drive than spanned 5:15 over parts of the first and second quarters until McKee threw an interception approaching the red zone. Pierce finished with 44 yards on four carries, including a 16-yarder.
● The Birds initially showed a bend-but-don’t-break defense, giving up three field goals until there was 8:40 left in the third quarter, when the Bengals’ Sean Clifford hit Ke’Shawn Williams for an 11-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 70-yard drive. Cincinnati’s scoring ballooned from there.
● Eagles first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion called the game from the booth for the second straight week. In the first preseason game, he was on the sideline.
● Eagles cornerback Isaiah Bolden limped off the field in the fourth quarter.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.