Eagles Were Right To Move On From Kenny Pickett (Even If They Didn't Want To)

The Eagles weren't going to trade Pickett last offseason, according to Pat Narduzzi, but had no other choice. They ended up making the right call, based on how things played out.

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In one of the interesting developments of last offseason, Kenny Pickett was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles.

The move seemed expected, as Pickett played well enough in the QB2 role in Philadelphia too seek out a starting job somewhere. Pickett moving on seemed like a foregone conclusion.

According to Pickett's college coach Pat Narduzzi, the Eagles were going to trade Pickett last offseason. They wanted to keep him as QB2.

"The Eagles did not want to trade him," Narduzzi said at ACC Media days this week (Narduzzi coached Pickett at Pittsburgh). "He begged to be traded because he wanted to compete, and he felt like he wasn't going to have a chance to beat out Jalen Hurts.

"I think there's some misconceptions about, 'They just got rid of him.' No. They wanted him to stay, and they said, 'We're not trading you.' And he begged, and they said, 'If it's good for us, we'll trade you. But if it's not good for us, we're not making that move.'"

Pickett had to beg the Eagles to trade him so he could compete for a starting job, per Narduzzi. The Eagles did move on, trading Pickett to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round pick.

Even if the Eagles didn't want to trade Pickett, they made a wise decision making the move.

Eagles needed to see what they had in Tanner McKee

Whatever the Eagles long-term vision of McKee was, there was no doubt McKee played well enough to be the QB2 last season. McKee shined in a Week 18 win over the Giants in that 2024 season, going 27-of-41 for 269 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions (100.6 rating).

While it was with the second-team offense, McKee showed enough that he was more than a No. 3 quarterback. Perhaps the Eagles didn't think McKee should have been a QB2, but MvcKee played himself into the opportunity.

The Eagles learned last season enough to have McKee compete for his job, which is why they traded for Andy Dalton. McKee struggled in his Week 18 appearance last year, going 21-of-40 for 241 yards with a touchdown and an intercpetion (68.9 rating). Playing behind a worse offensive line and holding onto the ball too long, McKee struggled to read the defense consistently.

Even with a different offense this year, McKee has struggled. Perhaps the Eagles learned what McKee is and know he's not in the long term plans at QB2, as he is a free agent after this year.

If the Eagles didn't trade Pickett, they wouldn't have known until this year McKee wasn't part of their future. McKee would have been QB3 last year and a relative unknown heading into 2026.

Pickett may have been a QB2, but played well enough to compete for a starting job

The Eagles appeared more than content bringing Pickett back as the QB2 to Jalen Hurts, based on how well Pickett played in his lone season in Philadelphia.

With Hurts sidelined in Week 17 (concussion), Pickett stepped in and shined. Pickett finished 10-of-15 for 143 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions for a 119.6 passer rating, including a rushing touchdown. From the second quarter on, Pickett was 9 of 12 for 138 yards with a touchdown and a 140.3 passer rating. He played that game with broken ribs.

Pickett was correct in seeking a starting job again, something he wasn't going to get in Philadelphia. The Eagles certainly weren't going to have Pickett compete with Hurts after a Super Bowl season -- and Pickett wasn't going to beat him out anyway.

The Eagles may have wanted to keep Pickett around, but competing with the starting job on the Browns was an opportunity for Pickett. A hamstring injury didn't help Pickett, and he was eventually traded to the Raiders.

Pickett is now with the Panthers, his fourth team in three years. Turns out he was a career backup, but Pickett wouldn't have found that out unless he was traded from Philadelphia.

At the end of the day, the Eagles did right by Pickett.

Eagles need to find their future QB2

This is why the Eagles were reluctant to trade Pickett in the first place. They had a good QB2 and could have kept Pickett around in that role.

Pickett had higher ambitions. Nothing wrong with either side, but it's just business. The Eagles found out McKee isn't the long term QB2 and Andy Dalton is just a solution for 2026.

Neither McKee nor Dalton have contracts with the Eagles after this season. Dalton is 38 years old too, making it more unlikely he'll be back. McKee may even be traded before the season.

Philadelphia will have to find a QB2 for 2027. Perhaps it's Cole Payton, but his minicamp performance installs little confidence he'll have that role. The Eagles may have to find one via free agency or draft a quarterback prior to the fifth round to backup Hurts -- assuming Hurts is back after this season.

There is a lot of uncertainty with the Eagles at quarterback after this season. This will all be sorted out on the field, but they'll need a QB2 regardless of what they decide to do regarding Hurts' future.