The Philadelphia Eagles have preseason Game 1 in the books, and there wasnât a ton of positives to take away from the lopsided loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
In a way, that turned out to be good news for the rookie quarterback, Cole Payton, who was deemed one of the very few winners of the evening by Eagles On SIâs Jeff Kerr.
Eagles Rookie Emerges As Surprise Winner From Ugly Loss vs Ravens
GettyBALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 15: Cole Payton #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
After getting a quarter of action, Payton proved to be the only quarterback to actually move the offense.
âPayton used his legs to accomplish that, having three carries for 45 yards, including a 17-yard run on fourth down. He also threw a touchdown pass to Erik Ezukanma for the Eagles’ lone score,â Kerr wrote.
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 30: Cole Payton #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes the ball during training camp at Jefferson Health Training Complex on July 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
In the air, Payton threw nine passes, completing four of them for 37 yards and a score. On the ground, he took off for three rushes, going for 45 yards. His longest run went for 17 yards.
While he scored the team a touchdown in the air, the Eagles still lost 24-7. The offense had a bad showing,
Cole Paytonâs Battle In Philly
GettyBALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 15: Cole Payton #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles carries the ball against Adisa Isaac #50 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of the preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Payton certainly isnât gaining attention for the QB2 battle thatâs underway in Philadelphia, but another strong week of camp could at least help him secure earlier snaps during the preseason.
The Eagles selected Payton in the fifth round out of North Dakota State. During his final 13-game run, Payton threw for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also rushed 136 times for 777 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Payton is noted to be behind Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton on the unofficial depth chart. The Eagles have acknowledged that the QB2 battle is between the two veterans. Since keeping four quarterbacks is unlikely, every âwinnerâ label for Payton is majorâeven if itâs on a night where the Eagles fail to impress overall.
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