Nick Sirianni updates fans on Eagles QB competition Andy Dalton starts vs. Patriots

While the Philadelphia Eagles have their franchise quarterback locked up in Jalen Hurts, their QB2 spot is far less defined, with 38-year-old journeyman Andy Dalton competing with four-year developmental arm Tanner McKee for the honor of suiting up on gameday.

After watching Dalton get the nod in the preseason debut against the Baltimore Ravens, many assumed that Tanner McKee would get a chance to compete against the New England Patriots’ No. 1s in order to see how effectively he could run Sean Mannion’s offense with their best active players around him.

Instead, McKee came off the bench once more, even if he got all but the final drive of the game from that point on to show off what he can do alongside new preseason legend Carson Steele.

Discussing whether the QB2 battle is over after the game, Nick Sirianni explained why he went with Dalton first once more and if there’s still a chance for McKee to make waves.

“It’s still a competition… Andy’s going in first because he’s not going to play quite as much as Tanner because he has had more experience, and he has more experience within this type of system. And Tanner needs to continue to play there — because I think you saw the improvements there from Tanner,” Sirianni said via Brooks Kubena.

“So, we’ve got to continue to give both of them opportunities within practice — and potentially games. We’ll see how that goes. Obviously, I’m not there yet. That was the plan today.”

Over two games of action, Dalton has thrown 16 passes in midnight green, completing six of them for 64 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. While McKee didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his preseason debut, he really came into his own in New England, completing 16 of his 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns while showcasing why he’s widely been considered a top trade candidate for quarterback-needy teams.

Is Sirianni hoping that Dalton plays well enough to make McKee expendable? Or is everyone really just thinking too much into preseason gameplans? Fans will get even more data points in the preseason finale, when the Cincinnati Bengals come to town.

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