February 26, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
The Eagles value good backup QBs like Tanner McKee but what happens if someone makes an offer that can't be refused?
Will or won't the Eagles trade Tanner McKee?
Surely, that's one of the questions on the mind of Howie Roseman, the team's executive vice president of football operations, especially as he packed his bags last week before heading with the rest of his staff to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine.
Before leaving, Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni each met separately with reporters in Philly, discussing a wide range of offseason topics.
Most trade questions centered on wide receiver A.J. Brown, who both Roseman and Sirianni did their best to send the message that, yes, they love him, but also, they'll welcome any offers they might receive for the three-time Pro Bowl wideout.
As for McKee, Roseman was far less forthcoming when asked about the potential of trading away the emergent Eagles backup quarterback, who should have league-wide interest as demand for starting-caliber quarterbacks in 2026 far exceeds supply.
When specifically asked about the potential of a developing trade market for McKee, who has two seasons under his belt and two left on his contract, compared to the team's desire to retain him, Roseman played it close enough to the vest to be a button on a dress shirt.
"Important position in this league, in sports," Roseman said. "And I have a lot of confidence in the player."
And that's it.
Unlike the more long-winded responses about the potential of trading Brown, Roseman interestingly offered very little in response to the same question about McKee.
When pressed for a little more detail on whether he's expecting a market, Roseman remained vague.
"I can't speak to what everyone else thinks of our players," he said. "I know what we think of our players. That's always been a position that we put a a great deal of priority on, a backup quarterback that we have a lot of confidence in, and we have a lot of confidence in him."
Roseman then reminded the reporters in attendance of what he had said earlier about the potential of dealing Brown – that he should listen to any and all offers.
"Whether I pull the trigger is a totally different story," he said.
Translation: Roseman is open for business, and if there's an acceptable offer on the table, he won't hesitate.
So, back to the initial question – will Roseman trade McKee this offseason?
McKee should be an interesting commodity. His debut came in Week 17 of 2024 as a rookie against Dallas in place of an injured Kenny Pickett and completed 3 of 4 passes for 54 yards for two TDs, then passed for 269 yards and 2 TDs with a 66% completion rate one week later in a meaningless season finale win over the Giants.
He didn't fare as well in this season's final game as starters rested and behind a second-string O-line, but he's still shown a strong, accurate arm in his two seasons since being picked in the sixth round from Stanford.
On the flip side, the Eagles have no other QBs under contract after Jalen Hurts and McKee. Trading away McKee would leave the team without a quality backup and force the Eagles to spend more in free agency to bring in a veteran backup for Hurts in 2026. They can't guarantee that any quarterback they draft would be ready right away to be No. 2.
Roseman has plenty of reasons to hang onto McKee, at least for one more season.
To understand what kind of demand there could be for McKee, let's first get an understanding of the overall QB market.
Here's a list of NFL teams that aren't sure of who is, or have questions/concerns about, their starting QB.
• Miami Dolphins
• New York Jets
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Cleveland Browns
• Indianapolis Colts
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Arizona Cardinals
• Atlanta Falcons
• Minnesota Vikings
• Carolina Panthers
Some of these come with an asterisk. The Raiders are sure to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall. The Colts will probably re-sign Daniel Jones, who's coming off another major injury. The Steelers will probably get Aaron Rodgers back for one more year. The Falcons will probably – emphasis on probably – give Michael Penix a full season under the new staff.
But that would still leave six teams with major questions at QB, and the general consensus among draft experts is that Mendoza is the only pro-ready signal caller in this year's class.
Now let's look at the free-agent QB class:
• *Kirk Cousins
• Malik Willis
• Aaron Rodgers
• Daniel Jones
• Russell Wilson
• Marcus Mariota
• Zach Wilson
• Tyrod Taylor
• Joe Flacco
• Kenny Pickett
• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Mitchell Trubisky
• Case Keenum
• Trey Lance
• Carson Wentz
• Brandon Allen
• Josh Johnson
• Gardner Minshew
• Eason Stick
• Sam Howell
* Cousins isn't a free agent yet but the Falcons have said they will release him.
Now, add Kyler Murray to the list as he'll likely become a free agent before the fifth day of the new league year, when the Cards are on the hook for about $20 million from a roster bonus.
Also, new Dolphins GM Jon Eric-Alexander said this week at his Combine podium session that "everything in on the table" with Tua Tagovailoa, including a trade. In Indianapolis, the Colts have given reportedly given backup Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick in 2023, permission to seek a trade after just 15 starts in three seasons, an 8-7 record, and losing his job to Daniel Jones.
Murray has a career losing record and Tagovailoa, who has one career playoff start and lost it, has missed several games due to multiple concussions. He has won just 12 of his past 25 starts over the past two seasons and was benched this past season in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers. Richardson has looked far from a starter for most of his short career.
The rest of the list has, maybe, a few bridge starters and mostly guys who are aging backups or one step out of the league.
If you're a team like the Jets, who have four of the first 44 picks in April's draft, would you rather surrendered one of those picks for McKee or shell out a boatload of money for Murray?
How hard could it be for new Dolphins pass game coordinator and former Eagles OC Kevin Patullo to sell Miami's front office on McKee over Ewers, who had an 85.5 passer rating in his three starts?
The lack of quality free agent QBs coupled with the lack of pro-ready QBs in the draft should create a market for McKee.
Then the only questions would be: What are teams willing to surrender, and will Roseman feel compelled to pull the trigger?
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