Former Stanford Quarterback Moving Up Philadelphia Eagles' Depth Chart

With the Eagles trading Kenny Pickett, that means that Tanner McKee is in line to take over as QB2 behind Jalen Hurts

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) reacts after drawing the New York Giants offsides during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Tanner McKee, you're up.

After the Philadelphia Eagles traded backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns, the franchise is now left with only two quarterbacks under contract for 2025--Jalen Hurts and McKee. In McKee's case, the trading away of Pickett is a great sign for the young signal caller.

Drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, McKee spent his rookie season third on the depth chart and did not see any action. But finally in 2024, McKee got the chance to show what he was made of when he made his debut in week 17, impressing right off the bat, going 3-of-4 with a pair of TD passes.

Now that McKee has shown just how much talent he possesses, finishing the 2024 campaign with four touchdown passes and no interceptions in only 45 pass attempts, the Eagles appear to have full confidence in him being their backup quarterback.

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Hurts is the face of the franchise and the future of the team, with the two-time Pro Bowler winning the franchise's second Super Bowl title and winning the game's MVP, but he has been prone in the past to miss a game every now and then with injuries.

In five seasons with the Eagles, Hurts has only played in every single game once, doing so in 2023 when he started and played in all 17 games.

If McKee becomes the No. 2, it could mean a couple of things. First, it means that if he keeps playing well when called upon, he could be staring at a chance to compete for a starting job in the league down the line.

With only two years left on his rookie deal, the Eagles could choose to re-sign him when it expires and keep him locked in as Hurts' backup for years or let him see what he is worth and if any teams want to bring him in to compete for the starting job.

McKee did get a chance to start a game last year and performed very well in the process. With Hurts still out for week 18 and Pickett unable to go, McKee got the chance to start his first-ever NFL game and was dominant from the start, throwing for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Despite the Eagles going into the game with the No. 2 seed already locked up, getting big game like that from McKee gave them an extra boost of momentum heading into the playoffs.

There is no question that the starting quarterback is the most important position in football, if not all of sports, but the backup is not far behind.

Every good team needs a good backup in case their starter gets injured, and McKee has undoubtedly proven that he deserves to be that guy in Philadelphia.

If he is in fact named the backup and shines during his moments, it could be quite possible that he enters the upper tier of backup quarterbacks and is highly regarded throughout his career.

Next: Cowboys Sign Former Cardinal