Eagles Under-the-Radar Trade Candidate Before NFL Draft

If the Philadelphia Eagles want to add some more draft compensation ahead of the 2026 National Football League Draft, one good way to do so would be by trading Tanner McKee.

This isn't the first time McKee has been talked about as a trade candidate and certainly won't be the last time. The Eagles acquired Andy Dalton to come in as a depth option in the room and right now the Eagles have him, McKee and starter Jalen Hurts. With Hurts and Dalton both in the fold, arguably that should make McKee expendable with just one more season left on his contract.

McKee has a salary cap hit just over $1.1 million for the 2026 season and then will be a free agent afterward. It's great to have a deep quarterback room and the Eagles certainly do. But if a team is willing to trade a draft pick or two for McKee, it's absolutely something the team should consider because they could go out and sign another veteran to be in the room with Dalton and Hurts.

The Eagles should make a move

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Jan 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) looks for a receiver against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The speculation about McKee has been out there all offseason and Bleacher Report's Alex Kay got into the mix on Tuesday and listed McKee among the five most "under-the-radar" candidates to be traded during the 2026 NFL Draft.

"The Philadelphia Eagles have made it clear they value Tanner McKee and want to keep him around, but the organization won't be able to hang onto the promising backup quarterback forever," Kay wrote. "With McKee entering the final year of his rookie deal, Philadelphia's brass is running out of options. The Eagles either need to find a way to offer an extension to a player who has started just two games in three seasons or, and this is the far more likely scenario, execute a trade with one of the many QB-hungry teams who have expressed interest in the 2023 sixth-rounder.

"An extension would be tough to negotiate, given McKee likely wants an opportunity to start. That isn't going to happen with Jalen Hurts locked in as Philly's QB1, and it could be prohibitively expensive to make it financially worthwhile for McKee to stick around in a backup role."

The Eagles haven't been afraid to trade from their quarterback depth in the past, like last year when they traded Kenny Pickett away. This year, the Eagles should do the same with McKee. If not now, then you're risking losing him for nothing next offseason.