The Philadelphia Eagles opened the 2026 preseason slate on Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium, losing 24-7 to the Baltimore Ravens. It wasn’t the result that Eagles fans were likely expecting heading into this game. But in the preseason, the score doesn’t matter, as it’s more about the order of operations and execution.

As expected, most of the Eagles’ starters did not play, allowing head coach Nick Sirianni and the rest of the coaching staff to see multiple position battles up close against another opponent. One battle in particular on Eagles fans’ minds is the backup quarterback competition between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee.

Needless to say, that position battle should still be considered wide open after Saturday night’s game. Below, we’ll talk about how Dalton and McKee fared, along with a couple of other takeaways from the preseason opener.

1. A.J. Epenesa, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Ty Robinson make an immediate impact

With a bunch of the starters not playing, we got to see other players on defense, such as A.J. Epenesa, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Ty Robinson, showcase their skills.

Epenesa, who was signed to a one-year deal in June, held his own in run defense, racking up three tackles. Now, when he was asked to drop back into coverage, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound defender did not look comfortable being on an island. But to Epenesa’s credit, he tried his best to keep up with Ravens rookie tight end Matthew Hibner.

That being said, Epenesa’s main focus will be setting the edge against the run and applying pressure the rest of the preseason. Meanwhile, Trotter Jr. was all over the field making plays. He showed fans and coaches that he could be ready for more snaps on defense this season.

The third-year linebacker had five total tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hit. There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding Trotter Jr. this summer, and it seems warranted as he’s clearly ascending. His motor and instincts are reminiscent of his father when he wore the Eagles’ midnight green back in the day.

Lastly, Robinson made a couple of splash plays in Saturday night’s opener. The second-year defensive lineman recorded two total tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit.

In the first quarter, Robinson blew right by Ravens offensive guard Emery Jones Jr. and brought down quarterback Tyler Huntley for a sack. This was a good first step for the 25-year-old interior defensive lineman, who needs to carry this momentum into this week’s joint practice and game against the New England Patriots.

2. The QB2 competition is nowhere near settled

The Eagles’ passing game was nothing to write home about on Saturday night. Dalton got the start against the Ravens but didn’t do much to put a gap between him and McKee. The veteran quarterback completed 50% of his passes (3-of-6) for 20 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per attempt. Most of his yards came on the Eagles’ first offensive drive, which isn’t great, considering that he played the entire first quarter.

McKee took over for Dalton in the second quarter and didn’t do much better. The 26-year-old QB completed 6 of 10 passes for 35 yards (3.5 yards per attempt) and was sacked once. McKee’s performance on Saturday night was a far cry from his outing in last summer’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals (20/25 for 252 yards and 2 TDs).

Luckily for McKee, there’s still time for him to leapfrog Dalton in this competition, which likely won’t be settled until preseason is over. But if there’s one thing that Eagles fans can be excited about regarding the QB position, it’s that rookie Cole Payton has some tools and intangibles to work with.

3. The Kelee Ringo experience was in full effect

The veteran cornerback gave fans flashbacks of last season in Saturday night’s exhibition contest. Ringo gave up a touchdown to Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane in the second quarter and was tagged with two penalties, including a defensive pass interception, which put Baltimore inside the five-yard line.

However, in typical Ringo fashion, he made up for it. The veteran defensive back used his speed to his advantage and intercepted UDFA QB Joe Fagano, who was trying to fit the ball in the back of the end zone to WR Xavier Guillory. Ringo ran stride for stride with Guillory, and it looked like he was playing wide receiver.

For those fans who watched the former Georgia Bulldog last season, Saturday’s performance was the textbook “Kelee Ringo experience.” He will take you on a rollercoaster ride every time he steps on the field on defense. He will give good moments, and then he’ll have puzzling plays that will have you scratching your head.

That said, for him to earn his keep on the 53-man roster, Ringo must compile more good moments than bad over the next two preseason games.