Jets Tied to Bold Tanner McKee Pitch From Eagles Insider

The chatter around the New York Jets' quarterback room has been endless and is only going to increase with free agency set to kick off on March 9.

Will Justin Fields stick around? Will the Jets sign a sign? Will New York trade for a guy? Could the Jets do a combination of both? Once free agency kicks off, options will start to come off the board. Kyler Murray is a free agent now and should have a healthy market. Other options are Malik Willis, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco, among others. Right now, things are great because theoretically there are a lot of options in front of New York. But that will change next week.

The second options start coming off the table, it will change the conversation. But there could be trade candidates as well for the franchise. For example, Philadelphia Eagles insider Zach Berman of The Athletic made the case for the Eagles to trade Tanner McKee to the Jets.

"No. 15. Trade Tanner McKee to a quarterback-needy team with 2027 picks in mind," Berman wrote. "The Eagles are bullish on McKee and have resisted trading him. They also value backup quarterbacks. Still, there comes a time when it makes sense to maximize value, and so long as Jalen Hurts is the franchise quarterback, it’s time to capitalize on McKee.

The Jets shouldn't leave any stone unturned

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

"There’s not much playing time for teams to be certain in the type of player he is, although his upside is well known. I’d call the New York Jets and offer them a potential starting quarterback without tapping into their 2026 draft picks. Let’s talk 2027: a third-round pick that becomes a second-round pick if McKee plays 70 percent of the offensive snaps."

Now, this would be an intriguing option for New York. It arguably shouldn't be the Jets' top choice, but once the dominoes start to fall, it should be considered if other moves don't go New York's way. Murray should be the top choice. He's a free agent and will be cheap because the Arizona Cardinals are fronting most of the bill.

If the Jets miss on the free agents, then the trade market would make more sense. McKee is talented, but untested. He has just two regular season starts under his belt, so that's a lot to ask for a third-round pick, but that would be a problem for 2027 in Berman's pitch. He has the upside and should be considered, but only if the top free agents go elsewhere.