Why Eagles drafting Cole Payton points to QB trade, Jalen Hurts backup change originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted a quarterback: Cole Payton in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

He's a lefty from North Dakota State, and he's a freakish athlete for a quarterback.

Some have compared him to Taysom Hill, but he has more QB upside than that in the NFL.

Of course, Payton will want to be more than a gadget guy, although that might be what he is as a rookie.

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Philly backup Tanner McKee was viewed as a trade candidate already. Now? It feels like a high probability outcome.

They also went out to get Andy Dalton this offseason in a trade, so he can be a veteran backup.

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Payton on the depth chart now might mean McKee is heading elsewhere.

Howie Roseman has done this before, trading away a backup QB for value elsewhere and then replacing him.

It would certainly fit to do that with McKee now after getting Payton.

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Eagles and Cowboys have made a trade like this before

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