Garafolo: Eagles could re-sign Andy Dalton

McKee looked to be comfortable in the pocket to start but things quickly unravelled, with the veteran backup unable to improve upon a 21-yard completion to rookie Makai Lemon in the first quarter as he remained incapable of attacking downfield. Lemon would also be the recipient of McKee’s lone touchdown toss, marking the second consecutive start with just one touchdown pass in relief of Jalen Hurts. The offense looked far more functional while Saquon Barkley was on the field, but the veteran back was in and out of the lineup from the second quarter through the fourth, before ultimately being deemed questionable to return and missing the final frame. The Eagles drop their fifth straight for the first time since 2016 as they fall further behind the Giants for the division lead. McKee is not worth rostering ahead of a Week 8 divisional tilt against the Commanders.

This would effectively end Hurts’ season, as a three-month absence would have him on track to return some time in late-January/early-February. In a statement released by Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lyyn, she said further tests revealed “deep vein thrombosis as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli.” She said that Hurts is stable and is not expected to have any “functional limitations” and that his treatment to resolve his blood clotting issues “should only involve anticoagulation [i.e., ‘blood thinners’].” As a result, Hurts will not be permitted to engage in football activities and will not be allowed to resume them until he is off his blood thinners. The good news here is that Hurts is expected to make a full recovery, and the doctors do not believe this will have a long-term effect on him moving forward. Hurts threw for 933 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions this season while completing 57.8 percent of his passes — his lowest mark since his rookie season. He ran for another 107 yards and one touchdown as he and the Eagles struggled in his first five starts under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. He remains under contract through the 2028 season, but Hurts has faced his fair share of scrutiny since leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl title in 2024. Hurts’ contract situation would suggest his job is more than secured for the foreseeable future, but this is the same Eagles front office that used a 2020 second round pick to select him as the heir apparent to Carson Wentz, who signed a four-year extension with the team in 2019. While we fully expect Hurts to be back with the Eagles next season, we can’t rule out the team using an early draft pick on a quarterback in a draft that is projected to be one of the more QB-rich drafts in recent memory. Tanner McKee, who started Week 6’s game against the Panthers, will take over as the team’s starter going forward.

Dalton had a chance to re-sign with the Eagles after being let go by them earlier in the week, but he spurned them to sign with Atlanta. The 38-year-old vet will presumably serve as the Falcons’ third-string QB for now, but could be one injury away from seeing playing time. Dalton threw for 293-1-1 on 37 pass attempts for the Panthers last season and has not started more than five games in a season since 2022.

The Eagles released Dalton less than two weeks ago. According to Florio, the Eagles reached out to Dalton with an offer after Jalen Hurts’ superficial blood clot moved in his calf, resulting in an indefinite sidelining, and Dalton told the Eagles, “no, thank you.” Florio did not reveal where Dalton plans to sign, but we should get word on that before long.

The very first play of the game was a play-action pass where McKee was sacked for an 11-yard loss. That began what was a rough first half for McKee, but he made some nice throws in the second half, including a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw to DeVonta Smith for a touchdown. When McKee wasn’t under pressure, he was happy to stand in the pocket and take shots down the field, which helped Smith and Dallas Goedert put together usable fantasy days, but McKee obviously does not avoid pressure in the pocket the way that Jalen Hurts does. He could put together a solid day next week against a vulnerable Cowboys defense.

Whelp, that reversed course quickly. It was reported earlier Saturday that the team was not planning on placing their franchise quarterback on injured reserve, with the team going back on those comments less than seven hours later. Although not yet fully evident, it appears as if additional information was ascertained during the day. There is no telling how long Hurts will be away from the team, with most recent reporting simply labeling it an “indefinite” absence. Tanner McKee steps into the starting role and could be worthy of deep league consideration as a QB2, for the foreseeable future.

While Hurts still has no timetable to return, the Eagles haven’t even discussed the possibility of placing him on injured reserve, according to Schefter. That could change as there’s still a possibility Hurts could wind up on injured reserve if that’s where the medical information leads them. Most blood clots are treated with anticoagulants (blood thinners), which would sideline Hurts for a minimum of six weeks, according to Schefter’s sources. The best-case scenario, according to Schefter, seems to be if the blood clot is minor enough that doctors could begin treatment with anti-inflammatories. Two team doctors that Schefter polled also speculated that the 28-year-old quarterback could miss six weeks. Tanner McKee is in line to start at least a few games while Hurts is out.

Fowler reportedly spoke to “some people who are hopeful” that Hurts can avoid injured reserve. He described the situation as being “very much touch and go” and said Tanner McKee will “probably” start multiple games. The Eagles go on bye in Week 10, so if Hurts does land on injured reserve, the Eagles’ Week 11 game against the Steelers would be his earliest possible return.

Hurts’ blood clot was initially a superficial issue in his calf. Unfortunately, the clot has moved and the situation now appears to be quite serious and, per Rapoport, “scary.” Rapoport said Hurts will now undergo treatment, “which, a lot of times, is blood thinners.” If that treatment option is deemed necessary, Hurts would not be allowed to play. Rapoport believes Hurts will be sidelined in Week 6 “and likely beyond.” Tanner McKee is his replacement.

McKee, 26, is a towering pocket passer (6'6/231) with 97 career dropbacks. He has two career starts and has made appearances in two other contests, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and a 73.8 percent adjusted completion rate. McKee was the subject of trade rumors last offseason, but luckily, the Eagles kept him. He faces a Panthers secondary missing its two starting perimeter cornerbacks, though he has almost exactly 72 hours to get himself ready and the Eagles’ pass-catching corps is banged up. He is a viable QB2 in superflex formats, but he offers a wide range of potential outcomes. McKee is backed up by rookie Cole Payton. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo thinks the team could reunite with Andy Dalton, whom they released last week.