Is The Eagles' Backup QB Job Becoming a Competition?

Second-year signal-caller Tanner McKee may be gaining ground on 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett.

Eagles QB Tanner McKee / John McMullen/Eagles SI

PHILADELPHIA - The consensus from the early returns at the Eagles’ training camp is that starting quarterback Jalen Hurts has been very sharp while enjoying perhaps the best summer of his NFL career.

The same hasn’t been true of backup Kenny Pickett, who has been unable to follow up on a somewhat splashy spring built up the foundation of well-placed, back-shoulder throws.

The ball placement with that one part of a QB’s skill set is a nice trait, but it’s also not sustainable as a go-to for a consistent offense.

For the first time before Thursday night’s open practice at Lincoln Financial Field, head coach Nick Sirianni was asked if there is a realistic opportunity for the strong-armed Tanner McKee to push Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick by Pittsburgh acquired for draft positioning back in April (the Eagles dropped from No. 98 at the end of the third round to 120 in the fourth) plus two 2025 seventh-round picks.

McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, has been impressive with third-team reps that recently evolved to a few with the second-team.

By design or not Sirianni defaulted to the 6-foot-6 McKee’s arm talent vs. Pickett’s athleticism.

“Tanner has done a nice job as far as running the offense when he's been able to go,” the coach said. “Not quite as many reps as Kenny, but he's been delivering the football with accuracy and anticipation.

“And Kenny, I think he's had a really nice camp as well. He's got really good athletic ability, and I think that shows up.”

Sirianni then went to the up-and-down nature of Pickett’s accuracy and perhaps a less-than-optimal pace of picking up Kellen Moore’s offense.

“When Kenny is on and when he knows where to go with the football he's really accurate,” said Sirianni.

The odds remain very high that Pickett is Hurts’ backup this season and an upgrade over the 2023 No. 2, veteran Marcus Mariota, who remains in the NFC East with Washington.

McKee, though, is gaining ground and is closer to Pickett than camp arm and Moore favorite Will Grier is to McKee as the No. 3.

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