Browns Digest

Could This Young QB Be A Viable Option For The Cleveland Browns In 2025?

After an impressive NFL debut in Week 17, should the Cleveland Browns keep this young quarterback in mind during the 2025 offseason?

Dylan Feltovich

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) passes the ball during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) passes the ball during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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As the Cleveland Browns begin the journey to find a new quarterback, there was one player that made his case for a spot in Week 17 of the 2024 NFL regular season.

Despite playing roughly one quarter of football on Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee put on a show against the Dallas Cowboys. The 24-year-old completed three-of-four passes for a total of 54 yards and two touchdowns, including this incredible backside fade to wideout AJ Brown.

McKee, a former sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Stanford, has seen limited playing time in his first two season. However, in his two years starting for the Cardinals, he threw for over 5,000 yards and 28 touchdowns while displaying his incredible ball placement ability.

Why This Works For Cleveland

While the move for McKee may seem underwhelming, it comes with many benefits for the Browns. The young gunslinger is still on his rookie contract, which gives Cleveland two year of control. Since McKee was selected in round six, his contract is a measly $1.07 million cap hit in 2025. This would allow the Browns to bring in a young quarterback on a cheap deal while the organization continues to pay off Deshaun Watson massive deal.

General manager Andrew Berry would have to trade for McKee, but since the Eagles used a late day three pick, the asking price for McKee would not be much for Cleveland. The Browns currently have five picks in the sixth round for this upcoming draft, which could be used to acquire McKee. If Berry and the rest of the front office do not love a quarterback in the 2025 draft, they could trade for a player that has spent two season in the NFL learning behind Jalen Hurts.

With the Browns in the running for the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, many are concerned with the lack of quarterback talent. Earlier this month, NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler claimed that there are some scouts in the league that believe taking a quarterback round one would be a mistake, which strengthens McKee's case.

Some NFL scouts believe one or two quarterbacks are deserving of this year’s first round, while others think drafting any QB in Round 1 would be a mistake. A comment from one AFC scout: “Man, I feel bad for the teams trying to find one (quarterback) in this group.”

But most importantly, McKee is a perfect scheme fit for head coach Kevin Stefanski. Fans saw how well Cleveland performed under quarterback Joe Flacco, and McKee offers a similar skillset to the former Browns' starter.

NFL draft analyst Mike Renner gave tons of praised to McKee during the 2023 Draft cycle, stating that he was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in his class.

"McKee is already well equipped to operate an NFL offense given what he was asked to do at Stanford. He's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the class, and he pairs that ability with lightning-quick processing. McKee's career time to throw at Stanford was a swift 2.49 seconds."

- Mike Renner

Obviously, McKee's resume is not close to Flacco's. However, both quarterbacks are known for their ball placement and quick processors. Cleveland has yet to have someone at the helm that shares many similarities to Flacco, so taking a shot at McKee could be beneficial for a team trying to figure out the quarterback position.

There's a chance that fans could once again see McKee in action when the Eagles take on the New York Giants in Week 18.

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Dylan Feltovich
DYLAN FELTOVICH

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