The Eagles’ offense didn’t play its starters in the preseason opener, and the backups couldn’t move the ball much — until fourth-string rookie quarterback Cole Payton entered the game in the fourth quarter.
Payton ended up leading the Eagles in both passing yards and rushing yards for the game, and he engineered their only scoring drive in a 24-7 loss to the Ravens.
The Eagles drafted Payton out of North Dakota State, where he didn’t become the starting quarterback until his fifth and final season, knowing he’s a project who’s not ready to be an NFL starter. But he’s an impressive athlete who can make plays with his arm and his legs, and did so in the preseason opener. He kept the Eagles’ late fourth quarter drive alive with a 17-yard run on fourth-and-3, and he finished that drive by escaping pressure and finding receiver Erik Ezukanma in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
“What an opportunity, what a cool environment and then to get to strap it up for the first time with an NFL logo on my chest,” Payton said afterward, via NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “It was a lot of fun. Just a ton of excitement. This is what you dream of, this is what you work for. A ton of excitement.”
Payton remains behind Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton on the quarterback depth chart. But Payton has a good chance of making the regular-season roster, either because the Eagles keep four quarterbacks or because the loser of the No. 2 battle between McKee and Dalton doesn’t make it. Payton looks like he has a future in Philadelphia.
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