Eagles Make Final Decision on Former AFC North Starting QB
The Philadelphia Eagles weren’t done making moves at quarterback after they traded with the Minnesota Vikings for backup Sam Howell on August 24.
The defending Super Bowl champions released veteran quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson the same day — and just months after trading for Thompson-Robinson.
“The #Eagles were likely going to cut Dorian Thompson–Robinson and Kyle McCord,” CBS Sports NFL Reporter Jeff Kerr wrote on his official X account. “McCord wasn’t ready to be QB3 and neither showed enough to warrant using a roster spot on in camp. Then there is the Tanner McKee finger injury. If Jalen Hurts gets hurt, this team wasn’t going to roll into Week 1 with Thompson-Robinson and McCord. They needed a proven backup that has starting experience (see Sam Howell). The QB room is Hurts, McKee, and Howell.”
The Eagles traded backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Thompson-Robinson and a 2026 fifth round pick.
Thompson-Robinson couldn’t overtake the momentum created by backup quarterback Tanner McKee at the end of the 2024 season or even outplay McCord, a 2025 sixth round pick.
Thompson-Robinson Likely To Land Elsewhere
Thompson-Robinson still has enough upside that he’s likely to land with another team.
He made 48 starts in 5 seasons at UCLA and was a 2-time All-Pac-12 selection before the Browns drafted him in the fifth round (No. 140 overall) in 2023.
In 5 starts over the last 2 seasons, Thompson-Robinson went 1-4 and didn’t look like a competent NFL quarterback. He threw for 880 yards, 1 touchdown and a stunning 10 interceptions while completing just 52.6 percent of his passes. He did show some effectiveness running the ball with 35 carries for 187 yards and no touchdowns for an average of 5.3 yards per carry.
In a strange twist, Thompson-Robinson’s one win as a starter came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 of the 2023 season … with Pickett as the Steelers’ starting quarterback.
Thompson-Robinson’s age — he’s only 25 years old — and experience should make him an attractive option as QB2 or QB3 for a wide swatch of teams.
One possible destination is with the Las Vegas Raiders, where Thompson-Robinson’s head coach from college, Chip Kelly, is the offensive coordinator.
“Dorian Thompson-Robinson played under Chip Kelly at UCLA,” Bleacher Report’s Mo Moton wrote on X. “Eagles have 4 QBs. DTR to the Raiders sounds logical to me.”
Eagles Backup QB Situation Could Remain in Flux
The Eagles may have created some more tension in their backup quarterback ranks by trading for Howell, who was a 17-game starter for the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Where it wasn’t before, now it might be a tough decision for head coach Nick Sirianni between Howell and McKee if there comes a time this season when Hurts, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, can’t play due to injury.
Hurts missed most of the last 3 games of the regular season in 2024 after he suffered a concussion in the first half of a Week 16 loss to the Commanders.
Another outcome might be the Eagles trade McKee to a team who might need a starter or high level backup QB, which makes room on the roster for Hurts, Howell and 2025 sixth round pick Kyle McCord.
