Getty Head coach Nick Sirianni and QB Jalen Hurts enjoy a moment together at the Eagles-Lions season opener.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has built a reputation on making lasting first impressions on people. Take sixth-round pick Tanner McKee, for example. He recently recalled a high school recruiting trip to the University of Alabama where he first met Hurts. The two hung out for a few days and shared some laughs, but McKee wound up choosing to attend Stanford.
It wasn’t anything Hurts did to dissuade him from landing in Tuscaloosa. Nothing personal, the proud California native just preferred to stay closer to home. Plus, the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder saw a more direct path to the starting job at Stanford. McKee smiled the other day as he relayed the story to reporters.
“It was actually funny, when I took a trip out to Alabama when I was getting recruited in high school, he was the quarterback at Alabama at the time,” McKee told reporters. “So I got to learn a little bit from him just for a few days, so I’m excited to actually be in the same quarterback room and to learn a lot from a guy like that.”
A quick follow-up question centered on Hurts’ natural confidence and poise under pressure. Was he displaying all those calming, leadership traits as a 20-year-old kid? Well, you probably already know the answer.
“I think for me the first thing that comes to mind is just the confidence that he carries himself,” McKee said. “When he walks into a room, even if it was a room of just quarterbacks, he just kind of has that subtle confidence. He’s running the show. He’s the guy. So, I feel like that’s something that you really need when you’re going to lead a team.”
Stanford QB Tanner McKee is going to the Eagles at No. 188 🦅
A new backup for Jalen Hurts
McKee Pick Doesn’t Reflect Poorly on Ian Book
Marcus Mariota is locked in as the backup behind Hurts heading into the 2023 campaign. Let’s not start reconstructing the depth chart because the Eagles took a talented kid in the sixth round. However, the third-string job appears to be an open competition between McKee and Ian Book.
For now, Eagles brass is saying all the right things. They love Book. That’s why the team stole the former fourth-rounder off the Saints’ practice squad in 2022.
“We like Ian [Book], obviously we like Marcus [Mariota]. This isn’t anything about them,” general manager Howie Roseman said. “This was about that we think it’s a really important position. We had a guy who was highly graded on the board, and so we took him.”
New Eagles QB Tanner McKee about to meet with reporters. Just a moment ago, Nick Sirianni pointed to some of his intangibles and his overall decision-making as reasons why the Eagles took McKee in the sixth round.
Roseman deferred the evaluation portion of McKee to Nick Sirianni. He quickly credited the youngster’s intelligence, big arm, and accuracy. Then, the savvy head coach went out of his way to heap effusive praise on Book.
“I’ve got a lot of high hopes for Ian Book, too,” Sirianni said. “That’s why we brought him in here, and it’s going to be good with Ian, he did a lot of scout team reps last year. We have a good developmental program where he gets some reps, as well, there, but it’s going to be good to see him in the off-season, as well, but looking forward to working with all four guys. We feel really good about that room.”
Former Notre Dame QB Ian Book has his second touchdown pass of the preseason.
Eagles Introduce 2 New Players to Media
The Eagles held introductory press conferences for two new players on May 3: WR Olamide Zaccheaus and RB D’Andre Swift. The Eagles inked Zaccheaus in free agency, then traded for Swift at the NFL draft. It was only a matter of time before they met the Philly media. It appears the medical reports checked out and the signatures were legible on the contracts. Both players are officially in the nest.
Grateful for the opportunity