Nick Sirianni: Eagles QB2 job remains “a competition” between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the team’s competition for QB2 is still open, pointing to an ongoing evaluation process between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee. Speaking after a Saturday preseason game involving Philadelphia and New England, Sirianni characterized the situation plainly: “it’s still a competition.” The comments underscore that while quarterbacks are typically categorized quickly during camp, Philadelphia appears content with a longer, more comparative approach to who provides the steadier option behind the starter.

The context is straightforward, but the timing is important. The Eagles are working their way through the preseason window, which typically functions as the last major stretch to separate the backup tiers, clarify game-plan roles, and ensure the second quarterback can operate the offense without major schematic disruption. For Sirianni, the message was that Dalton and McKee have not reached a point where one is definitively the clear QB2.

Dalton and McKee represent different types of roster profiles for the second unit, even if Sirianni has not offered additional, detailed differentiation in the reporting. Dalton brings NFL experience as a veteran quarterback, while McKee is on the developmental side of the position battle. The public framing from the coach, however, stayed centered on performance relative to one another rather than declaring the job settled by résumé.

This quarterback question is playing out across the league, including in the same preseason period where other teams are reportedly refining their own depth-chart decisions. The Yahoo Sports report that prompted this story also referenced teams working through their starting quarterback choices for Week 1, placing the Eagles’ QB2 situation within a broader pattern: preseason reps remain the primary proving ground for both starters and backups.

For the Eagles, the stakes of QB2 go beyond label. The backup quarterback must be ready to run the offense at full speed if the starter is unavailable, but he also affects how the coaching staff deploys personnel, sequences play-calling, and manages situational packages during late-game scenarios. A true competition can therefore be valuable, but it also means the team will be watching carefully for who grasps execution and timing consistently.

Sirianni’s comments suggest that Philadelphia is not yet at the point of narrowing the gap enough to declare one option the default. That leaves the Eagles with a clear next step: continue evaluating what Dalton and McKee show in both mental processing and on-field execution, then make the roster clarification closer to the regular-season threshold.