Eagles' Third-Year QB Looks Ready For The Next Step

PHILADELPHIA - Eagles’ backup quarterback Tanner McKee is taking a step forward in his NFL career after two years developing as the QB3 in Philadelphia.

The 6-foot-6, 231-pound Stanford product is now a play away, and history suggests that he’s likely going to have to play at some point this season.

In his four years as the starting QB in Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts has only played 17 games once in the regular season, missing two games in 2021, 2023, and 2024. Typically, the Eagles have had more experienced backups over that timeframe, bridging from Gardner Minshew to Marcus Mariota to Kenny Pickett last season.

McKee enters the 2025 preseason opener against Cincinnati on Thursday night with one career start, a meaningless Week 18 game last season when Nick Sirianni was resting his key players with the playoffs looming.

However, the behind-the-scenes development was so strong for McKee, GM Howie Roseman went off his typical script and felt comfortable enough to deal Pickett to Cleveland in the offseason for an exchange of draft picks and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Eagles QB Tanner McKee works through ball-security drills during a recent OTA practice. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

DTR and rookie sixth-round pick Kyle McCord are competing for the QB3 role that McKee had last season.

In theory, preseason reps should be important for McKee, although Sirianni downplayed that somewhat when asked by Eagles On SI earlier this week.

“Preseason games tell us a lot, and we're so excited to play those. It's such a great evaluation tool, but we wouldn't be doing our job in practice if we weren't going about our practice the way we do, where we get to evaluate there,” Sirianni said.

The only thing different in Sirianni’s mind is the live environment in which McKee, or any other QBs on Thursday night, aren't going to be protected by red jerseys.

“I think the only thing that's different is that it's live to the ground, but our offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, they're essentially going live every single play that we have pads on. And so, we get that evaluation there,” the coach said.

Sirianni never reveals who is playing in advance of preseason games, but McKee is likely to start against the Bengals and perhaps get as much as a quarter with Thompson-Robinson taking over from there and McCord finishing up.

McKee may have foreshadowed that to the Eagles’ social media team when bemoaning his Madden Rating.

“Watch Thursday. Tune in. Be Ready. Pump it up,” McKee said.

The guys had some words for their Madden ratings 😅@EAMaddenNFL | #Madden26 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/ZfGZvyFL0X
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 6, 2025

Through the first 10 practices of camp, McKee has more than looked the part as Hurts’ primary backup.

“Tanner's had a nice camp so far,” said Sirianni while noting the uptick in reps the third-year QB has gotten.

“That's just a good sign of when you have reps-- like Tanner had been used to getting two reps at the end of the threes or three or four reps, whatever it was. Now he's getting those extra reps with the twos, and he's done a nice job, and we'll continue to evaluate him at practice and in preseason games.

“We just look to continue to develop him.”

And the Eagles have a deep bench to do that with Sirianni, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, QBs coach Scot Loeffler, and passing game coordinator Parks Frazier.

“Scot Loeffler is doing a great job. I know Jalen in that quarterback room; the guys get to learn from him,” Sirianni said. “That's huge. Kevin is in the quarterback room an awful lot, Parks Frazier's in that quarterback room. So, there's a lot of guys in there that are helping with that development.”

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