There's no doubt that the Philadelphia Eagles have one of the NFL's best rosters, helmed by star quarterback Jalen Hurts. He's one of the most important players in the sport, but his backup has been a question mark over the years.
You obviously never want your leader to go down with injury, though it's wise to prepare for it nonetheless. Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee served as his backups last season, yet Pickett is off to the Cleveland Browns and now there's an open competition for that No. 2 spot.
Philadelphia traded for former Browns signal caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson to compete with McKee and rookie Kyle McCord back in March. After a slow start to training camp that saw him facing pressure, recent practice reports indicate that Thompson-Robinson is gaining steam in the position battle.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson has had a good two days of practice. Much better than the first two. Can see the improvement. The tools are clearly there to be an NFL QB
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) July 28, 2025
Eagles QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson Gaining Steam in Backup QB Competition
As noted by Eagles reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks earlier this week, Thompson-Robinson is stringing together some strong practices. Originally a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of UCLA, Thompson-Robinson has intriguing physical tools as a dual-threat quarterback but has struggled with consistency and accuracy.
In five starts with Cleveland, the 25-year-old has a 1-4 record while completing just 52.6% of his passes with one TD to 10 interceptions. Those are obviously terrible numbers, and he ranked 71st out of 75 qualified quarterbacks at Pro Football Focus in 2024 for good reason. That said, there's reason to believe he could improve with better structure. The Browns aren't exactly known for getting the most out of the position, after all.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson with a TD pass over the middle from about 10-yards out. He’s had a very good last few days
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) July 29, 2025
McKee would seem to be the leader in the clubhouse at the moment, given his experience with the system and organization. Things could change quickly, though, as Thompson-Robinson's skillset more closely mirrors Hurts' than McKee's does. McCord has a chance as well, but it's more likely that he develops as a practice squad member than it is that he actually wins the backup job.
With preseason kicking off soon, fans and the coaching staff alike will get a better opportunity to measure these players against each other. All hope that none of the three will have to actually take the field in a meaningful game, though it remains an important position battle nonetheless.
We'll see if Thompson-Robinson's hot stretch is a mirage or a sign of things to come, yet it's good to see either way for a player with tantalizing potential.