Eagles Add QB Depth In Advance Of Initial Cutdown

PHILADELPHIA - With backup quarterback Tanner McKee dealing with a finger injury on his throwing hand and Week 1 against Dallas looming, the Eagles bolstered their depth at the position Sunday morning by acquiring Sam Howell from the Minnesota Vikings, a league source confirmed to Eagles On SI.

The Eagles sent a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder to the Vikings in exchange for Howell, 24, and a 2026 sixth-round pick.

The Vikings then came to terms with ex-Eagles star Carson Wentz to back up first-year starter J.J. McCarthy in their QB room.

McKee, the Eagles’ QB2 behind superstar Jalen Hurts, sustained the finger injury in practice on Monday. He was unable to participate in the final two training camp practices over the next two days.

McKee watched the Eagles’ 19-17 preseason finale win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Friday night from the sideline and was very protective of his right hand throughout the night. It should be noted that had McKee been healthy, however, he would not have played against the Jets.

The addition of Howell indicates that McKee will likely miss some time during the regular season, which begins when the Eagles host the Cowboys on Sept. 4. The idea that McKee would start the season on injured reserve, as NFL Media speculated, received some pushback and is not expected to be the case.

Rookie Kyle McCord and three-year veteran Dorian Thompson-Robinson have not played well enough for the Eagles to be comfortable with either being a backup, even in the short term.

The Eagles will likely waive both with the idea of McCord getting through to the practice squad unless the final medical evaluation deems McKee will miss a month.

After the preseason win against the Jets, head coach Nick Sirianni was cautious when discussing McKee’s status for Week 1.

“We’ll see,” Sirianni said after the game. “He’s working to get back, and we’ll see where he is.”

The deal is also not believed to be a precursor for a potential McKee trade down the road, although the presence of Howell does give GM Howie Roseman more flexibility if another team decides to offer a major draft choice for a player, who some believe has a significant upside.

Howell, originally a fifth-round pick by the Washington Commanders in the 2022 draft out of North Carolina, started all 17 games for the Commanders in his second season as a high-volume passer with 3,946 passing yards and a league-high 21 interceptions for a 4-13 team.

Last season, Howell backed up then-Seattle Seahawks starter Geno Smith, playing just 25 snaps in two games.

He was traded to the Vikings in the offseason for draft positioning and struggled during the summer, prompting Minnesota to look in a different direction at QB2 with Wentz.

Howell will arrive in Philadelphia to play under the final year of his rookie deal and is set to make $1.1 million this season.

Later Sunday, the Eagles waived Thompson-Robinson, and McCord is expected to follow before Tuesday's deadline.

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