Two seasons ago, it was hard to imagine the Philadelphia Eagles would struggle to head into the regular season lacking confidence in Tanner McKee’s status as Jalen Hurts‘ primary backup, but here we are.
Months ago, it seemed the only way McKee wouldn’t be the Eagles’ primary backup in 2026 was if another team acquired him via trade.
At this point, it seems that getting cut or simply falling to No. 3 on the depth chart is a real possibility for McKee.
Philadelphia Eagles QB’s Stock Reaching All-Time Low In Training Camp
The Eagles brought in competition by trading for the former Pro Bowler, Andy Dalton.
The 38-year-old’s best days are behind him. Yet, the Eagles wanted to bring in Dalton to apply some pressure. Consider that task accomplished.
During OTAs and minicamp, Dalton noticeably had more reps at QB2 than McKee. The Eagles confirmed there would be a battle for the spot in training camp, and so far, all signs point to McKee losing.
“I may have to walk back previous criticism of the Eagles for even having a competition for the QB2 spot, as McKee felt like an obviously better player than Andy Dalton,” Eagles insider Jimmy Kempski wrote in a PhillyVoice column. “Well, so far, Dalton has outplayed McKee, and Dalton has gotten more second-team reps.”
There have been several reports noting that McKee’s stock is down this summer.
Tanner McKee’s Struggles
The 26-year-old had an impressive two-game showing in 2024 (one start). He went 30-45, tossing for 323 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
The small sample size brought a lot of hype to McKee’s name. Then one start in 2025 hurt his stock. In four games, he completed 24 out of 43 passes, throwing for 274 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
With a bad start from last season, followed by an offseason full of struggles, McKee might have a hard time gaining the backup position. There is still a whole preseason left to be played, but so far, Dalton seems to have the upper hand.
