The Philadelphia Eagles will play without quarterback Jalen Hurts for an extended period for the first time in his career, so the team faces a major decision.
Backup quarterback Tanner McKee didn’t show enough on Sunday to be the longtime starter amid a 25–14 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Rookie quarterback Cole Payton has intriguing upside but no experience, and Joe Milton is in the same spot, with just five career appearances.
Philadelphia (2–4) must find a viable starting quarterback quickly to save the 2026 season, the year the Eagles were expected to make a big playoff run. The team won the Super Bowl in the 2024 season and came up short in the Wild Card game for the 2025 season.
Here’s a look at possible trade and free agent targets for the Eagles.
Justin Fields
The Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback had success with the Pittsburgh Steelers a couple of years ago while Russell Wilson was injured. Philadelphia could bank on the same success with Fields, who has mobility and a good arm.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni could use Fields in similar ways to Hurts, which makes the former Ohio State star an immediate fit. Philadelphia also has a legitimate chance to swing a trade with the Chiefs since the AFC West leaders have a promising rookie backup quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier.
Jacoby Brissett
The Arizona Cardinals are having success with Brissett, but since he’s truly a bridge quarterback, a trade is possible. Arizona seems interested in exploring a future with rookie quarterback Carson Beck, and the Cardinals could get draft capital and a possible roster addition to build around Beck.
Brissett isn’t a dual-threat quarterback, but he can do a lot of the things Sirianni will be looking for in the offense. The journeyman quarterback will also get to work with one of the most talented offenses he has seen in his career if the Eagles bring him in.
Mason Rudolph
The Steelers quarterback has playoff experience despite being a career backup. He has completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns versus an interception in two appearances.
Philadelphia has ample offensive talent to allow Rudolph to thrive and not have to save the day. His 17-game career average consists of a 64.3 percent completion rate for 2,326 yards and 14 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions, which is enough to be viable.
Joe Flacco
The Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback still has something left. Just take a look at his high-yardage primetime duel with Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year for starters.
Flacco can step in and lead an offense at a high level; the Philadelphia native has won a Super Bowl before with the Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles realistically could trade with the Bengals since the two teams are in a different conference, but Philadelphia may need to pull a quarterback swap since the Bengals only have Flacco and starter Joe Burrow on the depth chart.
Mac Jones
The San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback would be an optimal trade target for the Eagles, but the 49ers aren’t likely to trade him. San Francisco needs a viable backup behind starter Brock Purdy, and even a quarterback in the trade package wouldn’t be likely to suffice.
Jones is one of the better backups in the league with ample starting experience and a little bit of postseason experience from his stints with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars. It would be fitting and ironic if the Eagles could land Jones, as one former Alabama starting quarterback would fill in for another.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Also a former Super Bowl quarterback, Garoppolo has expressed interest in coming out of retirement to play again with the right team. Garoppolo appeared in three games as a backup with the Los Angeles Rams last season, and hasn’t played significant snaps for multiple games since 2023. That said, Garoppolo led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2019, and he has a record of .500 or better in every season he has started more than three games.
