February 27, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Tanner McKee could get some interest from around the league this offseason, like he did last offseason.
Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles make a lot of trades at the start of the new league year, and, well, everyone loves a nice hypothetical, "throwing darts" type of unlikely to actually happen "trades that make sense" post, right? Cool. Let's do one of those, and thanks for the clicks.
McKee got his first taste of real NFL game action when he entered a meaningful Week 17 game against Dallas in relief of an injured Kenny Pickett at the end of the 2024 season. He was terrific, finishing 3-for-4 for 54 yards, two TDs, 0 INTs, and a QB rating of 156.2.
McKee then started in the Eagles' meaningless Week 18 game against the Giants, and picked up where he left off the previous week, going 3/3 for 48 yards and a TD pass on the Eagles' first drive. At that point in the game, his career numbers were as follows: 6/7 for 102 yards, 3 TDs. McKee cooled off a bit as the game progressed, but he did enough to pick up a win in his first career start.
We published a review of McKee's performances in those two games following the Giants game.
As noted within that piece, what stood out about McKee's performances was that he was mentally prepared to play when his number was called, as he had been during preseason games for each of his first three seasons in the NFL. He's tall, poised, and accurate.
McKee got some attention on the trade market during the 2025 offseason, but not enough to entice the Eagles to trade him away. He only has one year left on his rookie contract, so there was some real curiosity about how he would play in the Eagles' Week 18 game against the Commanders this season, in that he might raise his value even further with another good performance. However, he had a disappointing game, completing 21 of 40 passes for 241 yards, a TD, and an INT.
In fairness, McKee was playing with the second-string offensive line and skill position backups. He had DeVonta Smith at his disposal for one quarter, and the offense looked notably better when Smith was in the game. After Smith left, McKee had nothing. So, it's not as if that was going to be an easy game for him. McKee can still be a good player, and a starter for another team.
According to a recent report from Tony Pauline, the Jets are thought to be interested in McKee:
After last year’s failure at quarterback, the Jets are once again in the market for a starting signal caller to compete with or replace Justin Fields. Much of the narrative outside the league has centered around the team potentially making a trade for Kyler Murray. Yet people in the league tell me if general manager Darren Mougey gets his way, the Jets will look to bring in a less-expensive signal caller, and two names keep entering the conversation: Tanner McKee and Davis Mills.
That report aligns with what Daniel Jeremiah said about the Jets and McKee during his pre-Combine media conference call.
"I was looking at a couple of names. I would kick the tires — I don't know if they'd be available — for Frank Reich there I was thinking about Tanner McKee with the Eagles. Like, what would that cost? I was thinking about Davis Mills from the Texans. Those are a couple of guys that I'd be curious about taking a flier on for a year if you could trade a mid-round pick."
So, there appears to be some smoke there. Obviously, the Jets need a quarterback.
McKee is certainly a lot cheaper than Murray. McKee would cost his new team a little over $1 million in 2026, while Murray would cost almost $40 million. Of course, because of that (and because we already know what Murray is, or maybe better stated, isn't), McKee should cost more in trade capital.
The Jets are loaded with early picks the next two years. They have four of the top 44 picks in the 2026 draft — 2, 16, 33, and 44. They do not have a third-round pick, because, well, the Eagles own that from the Haason Reddick trade. They are also loaded up with 2027 draft capital, with three picks in the first round.
Projected compensation: A 2027 third-round pick that can become a second-round pick if McKee plays at least 67 percent of the regular season snaps and the Jets make the playoffs. That way, if McKee leads them to the playoffs, snapping a league worst 15-year playoff drought, a second-round pick will be well worth it. If he doesn't the Eagles will at be assured of at least a pick in roughly the top half of the third round.
In his third NFL season, Brown had a role in the regular defense to begin the season, as he played 14 snaps on defense against the Cowboys Week 1, 14 snaps against the Chiefs Week 2, and 20 snaps against the Rams Week 3.
He was then benched, as he didn't play any meaningful snaps again until Week 12 in Dallas, when he filled in for an injured Reed Blankenship. He started the following game in a bad home loss to the Bears, but played poorly enough in that game that he was replaced in the starting lineup by Marcus Epps, who was returning from IR.
During his post mortem press conference, Howie Roseman pointed out that the team has hit on almost all of their Day 1 and Day 2 draft picks since 2021.
"I'm proud, since [Nick Sirianni] has been here, of our first- and second-day draft success," Roseman said. "I think we've drafted 15 guys since Nick has been here in the first and second day, and 14 of them have been long-term starters."
The one that is not a long-term starter? Sydney Brown.
Brown is a very athletic player, and he seems to love to play, but as noted in our player review of him last offseason he lacks recognition skills and he plays out of control. That's a bad combo.
Brown at least has had a role as a core special teamer, but if he hasn't figured out how to play in Vic Fangio's defense by now it probably isn't going to happen for him.
What Brown does have is a love of football, a good work ethic, and good athleticism.
Maybe some other team out there can find a use for him in their defense?
Brents is a third-year corner who the Colts selected in the second round of the 2023 draft. He has had a lot of injury misfortune, via the IndyStar:
Brents arrived in Indianapolis while still recovering from a wrist surgery after the draft, suffered hamstring and quadriceps injuries during the 2023 season that caused him to miss eight games, then broke his nose in the 2024 preseason and suffered a torn MCL and meniscus in the 2024 season opener, forcing him to miss the next 15 games.
That almost sounds like a scene from a Naked Gun movie:
Anyway, Brents has great size and some explosive athletic measurables, which is why the Colts selected him 44th overall in 2023.
He also came to Philly on a pre-draft visit in 2023. Other guys who came on pre-draft visits in 2023? Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Kelee Ringo, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, to name a few.
The Colts released Brents at 53-man cutdowns last season, and he was claimed by the Dolphins. He played 110 snaps for the Dolphins last year.
This would obviously just be a "change of scenery" swap.
I've been suggesting the Eagles trade for Mayer for like two years, so why stop now?
Mayer was a Raiders 2023 second-round pick (35th overall) who had just 48 catches for 460 yards (9.6 YPC) and 2 TDs in his first two seasons. In 2024, he only had 21 catches for 156 yards (7.4 YPC) and 0 TDs. Part of that was because the Raiders used the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft to select Brock Bowers, who was instantly one of the best tight ends in the NFL as a rookie, catching 112 passes for 1,194 yards and 5 TDs. Part of it was also because Mayer took a mental health hiatus.
In 2025, Mayer had 35 catches for 328 yards and a TD. I watched a little of Mayer, and I like him. He fights for every inch after the catch, and he's a good blocker. He's not the receiver that Dallas Goedert is, but the potential is there, and he has a solid floor.
And certainly, the Eagles have players who have learned how to cope with mental health hurdles, namely Lane Johnson.
The Raiders are not going to be contenders in 2026 and Mayer is scheduled to be a free agent in 2027. They may as well get something for their TE2 now before he leaves for nothing. And certainly, the Eagles have a severe need for tight ends.
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