A Philadelphia Eagles team that has quarterback Jalen Hurts atop its depth chart raised some eyebrows when general manager Howie Roseman made North Dakota State signal-caller Cole Payton a fifth-round pick during the 2026 NFL Draft.
On Monday, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US spoke with one longtime personnel executive about what could become an interesting situation for the Eagles in 2027 or 2028.
Could Cole Payton eventually replace Jalen Hurts as the Eagles’ starter?
“You know I believe in that kid,” the executive said about Payton. “That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
The Eagles took a flier on Payton after multiple reports surfaced this offseason claiming that Hurts was “the source of much internal frustration” during the 2025 campaign. Hurts signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth up to $255M with $179.3M guaranteed in the spring of 2023, and he obviously isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, whispers about his future could grow louder if he doesn’t ink a new extension at some point in the next 12-20 months.
“All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract,” the personnel executive continued. “You can call me crazy, but I think [Payton] could take over from him in a few years. They did this stuff before with [Kevin Kolb] when they still had [Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb]. I know how Howie thinks. This kid had a chance.”
Cole Payton is raw, but he also doesn’t have to play for the Eagles right away
The Eagles currently have Tanner McKee and fellow backup Andy Dalton on their roster, but some think McKee will be traded if a team either needs or wants a different QB2 option later this summer. Payton probably shouldn’t take a regular-season snap anytime soon, but he could give those running the Eagles something to think about if he puts in the necessary work behind the scenes while learning from Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni through at least January 2027.
“That’s such a great spot for him to land,” a personnel executive said about Payton being drafted by the Eagles. “He’s better off there in the fifth round than Arizona in the third, really. I love the fit. I think he can play in the league, but he’s still really raw.”
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