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Rookie Cole Payton was given the final drive of the Eagles' preseason game against the Patriots after McKee was pulled. Payton fumbled on his third snap, ending the game with the Eagles trailing 24-21. Sirianni said the decision to play Payton was based on a rep count target they wanted to reach, but the fumble highlighted ball security issues that need improvement.

The rookie fifth-round pick was the bright spot for the Eagles' offense in the preseason opener, throwing for 37 yards and a touchdown while running for 45 yards. Payton got the Eagles in the end zone to break up a shutout and showed why the Eagles are interested in developing him; he will get more chances throughout the rest of the preseason.

Rookie quarterback displayed athleticism in first NFL action that exceeds what is typically seen in practice; had some early-game nerves and decision-making to clean up on third downs and in traffic, but settled in well and led a scoring drive to end the game, showing promise after initial jitters.

Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion highlighted rookie QB Cole Payton's athleticism on display in the preseason game, noting it was more evident than what they typically see at practice. Mannion said Payton 'ran around, did a nice job' and had some things to clean up, including decision-making smoothness. Despite some nerves on third down and throwing into traffic in his first NFL action, Payton 'really settled in from that point forward and led us on a nice drive to score and get us on the board at the end of the game.'

Eagles rookie quarterback Cole Payton showed positive signs in Philadelphia's first preseason game, demonstrating early promise in his NFL debut.

Payton is volatile and aggressive with arm talent and movement skills that create explosive plays; he completed 4 of 9 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown while adding 45 rushing yards on three attempts in preseason action. His aggression will create mistakes and turnovers, but his athleticism and arm allow him to extend plays and produce when structure breaks down; he is ideal for second-half preseason evaluation because his arm talent and mobility can generate plays when the original play stops functioning.

Payton was exactly as advertised—volatile, aggressive, and extremely entertaining; he completed four of nine passes for 37 yards and a touchdown while adding 45 rushing yards on three attempts, though he also made several decisions that could easily have resulted in turnovers.

Payton was described as 'exactly as advertised! Volatile, aggressive, and extremely entertaining.' He completed four of nine passes for 37 yards and a touchdown while adding 45 rushing yards on three attempts. The source characterizes him as a dynamic, aggressive player who brings entertainment value to the preseason game, though the transcript excerpt cuts off before detailing any concerning decision-making.

Fourth-string rookie QB Cole Payton led the Eagles in both passing and rushing yards in the preseason opener and engineered their only scoring drive despite the Eagles' offense being largely dormant with backups. Payton, drafted from North Dakota State as a project QB not ready for NFL starting duties, demonstrated impressive athleticism with arm and leg talent; he converted a crucial fourth-and-3 with a 17-yard run and found Erik Ezukanma for a touchdown. The source notes Payton has a good chance of making the regular-season roster either via a four-QB roster or if the No. 2 QB battle between Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton results in one not making the team, and suggests he looks like he has a future in Philadelphia.

Rookie QB showed exciting mobility and arm talent in preseason debut against Baltimore, extending plays with his feet and finding receivers downfield; the source notes the Eagles backup QB situation is one to monitor, with trade rumors around Tanner McKee creating an opportunity for Payton to play himself into the QB3 spot through strong preseason performances.

Cole Payton was a breath of fresh air in the preseason game, showing immediately evident mobility with big gains on scrambles and designed runs, including plays where he brushed off contact. His highlight came on a play where he extended with his feet, kept his eyes up, and found a receiver in the back of the endzone for the Eagles' lone touchdown. The source notes the Eagles backup quarterback situation is one to monitor, with trade rumors swirling about Tanner McKee, and suggests Payton could continue to get long looks in preseason games to play himself into the QB3 spot.

Rookie Cole Payton pulled off a cool touchdown and chipped in 45 yards on the ground in preseason week 1 for the Eagles, despite Eagles QBs as a whole turning 25 pass attempts into just 83 yards.

Rookie 5th-round pick Cole Payton showed the value of having a mobile QB; his legs brought life to the offense and put points on the scoreboard. He was the only QB to generate a scoring drive in the Eagles-Ravens preseason game, running for 45 yards and throwing for 37 with a TD in the final minutes.

Rookie 5th-round pick Cole Payton, who is not part of the competition for the No. 2 backup quarterback spot, showed value with his mobility; his legs brought life to the offense and put points on the scoreboard. When Payton entered the game, the Eagles looked remotely like an NFL offense for the first time, running for 45 yards and throwing for 37 with a touchdown to generate the Eagles' one scoring drive in the final minutes of the 24-7 preseason loss.