The Philadelphia Eagles reportedly spent most of the offseason entertaining —and spurning — trade offers for backup quarterback Tanner McKee.
That no team was willing to meet their asking price could prove a blessing in disguise after Thursday’s news that starting quarterback Jalen Hurts won’t play against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 after a blood clot was discovered in his leg.
McKee, a 2023 6th-round pick, is no stranger to Eagles fans — he started and won the 2024 regular-season finale against the New York Giants with Hurts in concussion protocol and was part of that year’s Super Bowl-winning team.
He also stepped in and led the Eagles to a win over the Dallas Cowboys after Hurts’ original backup, Kenny Pickett, suffered a rib injury that kept him out for the entire second half.
Hurts’ injury is serious and could make McKee the starter for the rest of the regular season. The Eagles are 2-3 and have lost three consecutive games headed into Week 6.
“Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is OUT for Sunday’s game vs. the Panthers due to a superficial blood clot in his calf,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account. “The team says the clot was discovered Saturday in London, but doctors cleared him to play against the Jaguars. A follow-up ultrasound Wednesday revealed that the clot had moved, prompting the team to rule him out as doctors determine the appropriate treatment.”
What QB Tanner McKee Brings to Eagles
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has a well-earned reputation as one of the NFL’s most shrewd wheelers and dealers.
However, there’s 1 trade Roseman has seemed hesitant to pull the trigger on over the last few years. That’s sending McKee to another team.
Thursday’s news makes Roseman seem like a genius again — McKee has proven he can run Philadelphia’s offense at a high level in the last few years when Hurts has been out.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put McKee at the top of his list of backup quarterbacks with the most trade value in the offseason.
“Among the top backup quarterbacks, Tanner McKee has the fewest NFL starts (two),” Moton wrote in May. “Yet the Philadelphia Eagles have a premium price on his trade value. However, the Eagles have overpriced the demand for McKee, which may be why he’s still on the roster after the club acquired 15th-year veteran Andy Dalton from the Carolina Panthers and drafted Cole Payton in the fifth round. In six games, McKee has thrown for 597 yards, five touchdowns and an interception with a 61.4 percent completion rate. He has a decent but small sample size. Philadelphia will likely need to drop its asking price to make a deal.”
Tanner McKee Enters Final Year of Deal in 2026
McKee, a 2023 6th-round pick, is in the final season of his 4-year, $4.02 million rookie contract.
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the New York Jets backed out of a trade for Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee when Roseman came back with the asking price — a 2nd round pick.
“They looked into trading for guys like Tanner McKee, Davis Mills, and Mac Jones. Those teams were asking for second-round picks for these guys,” Cimini told Gary Myers on “The Saturday Huddle” podcast. “Exorbitant prices.”
Who is Eagles QB Tanner McKee? Longtime Backup Takes Over for Jalen Hurts