Whether or not Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee eventually gets a shot at being a starter somewhere else might boil down to how he plays in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Washington Commanders.
With what should be an amped up home crowd behind him, McKee will essentially get to audition for the other 31 teams in the league, with quite a few of those trying to figure out if he is a dude who can lead their team in 2026 or 2027.
It was how McKee played in the final 2 games of the 2024 regular season that sparked all of this buzz in the first place, including a win in the regular season finale against the New York Giants in his only NFL career start.
“I feel like, in general, I try to prepare like I’m going to be the starter,” McKee told Word on the Birds. “So as far as preparation, things didn’t change that much because I feel like I prepare that way every week. But last night I was going through the call sheet a few times and just running things in every single possible scenario that we could get. Just so I could go out and not think and just play with second nature.”
McKee will be in the final season of his 4-year, $4.02 million rookie contract in 2026 and in terms of stakes, how he plays against the Commanders could very well lead to some life-changing money — imagine a contract similar to the 1-year, $14 million contract Daniel Jones signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025 to begin with.
McKee Could Be Valuable Trade Asset for Philly
McKee’s first “audition” at the end of the 2024 season was so impressive it made him th subject of ongoing trade rumors for the last year — something only buoyed by the fact Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is an unmatched dealmaker.
For the Eagles, if they find a desperate enough trade partner, it could mean flipping a former sixth round pick into either a second or third round pick or something like a fourth round pick and a sixth round pick.
The Eagles seemed to already be planning for a future without McKee in the 2025 NFL draft, when they selected Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord in the sixth round, but he’s been stashed on the practice squad all year.
Figuring Out Which Team Fits McKee Best
Figuring out where McKee would be the best fit if the Eagles do trade him is a fun game to play.
Let’s start with a couple of teams who have starting quarterbacks who might miss all of 2026 with injuries, which would be the Colts with Jones out with an Achilles tendon and the Kansas City Chiefs, where Patrick Mahomes could miss all of 2026 with a torn ACL.
There’s also some bottom feeders who might be drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft but won’t want to throw them to the wolves right away — think the Las Vegas Raiders, who should have the No.1. overall pick, New York Jets or the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Huge Stakes for Eagles Backup QB Tanner McKee in Season Finale