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Eagles' Tanner McKee: Filling in as starter with Hurts on IR
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Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni confirmed Friday that McKee will start Sunday's game against the Panthers, NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
McKee is likely headed for a multi-game run as the Eagles' starter, after Jalen Hurts (calf) was ruled out for Week 6 due to a superficial blood clot before landing on injured reserve Saturday. Rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton is active as the No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game behind McKee, who will be making the third start of his four-year career. Unlike Hurts, the 6-foot-6, 231-pound McKee is more of a traditional pocket passer who doesn't offer much of a threat as a runner, but he's been serviceable in directing the Philadelphia offense in his limited opportunities. He's completed 54 of 88 career pass attempts (61.4 percent) for 597 yards (6.8 YPA), five touchdowns and one interception.
McKee appears lined up to start Sunday's game against the Panthers after the Eagles announced Wednesday that Jalen Hurts has been ruled out for Week 6 due to a superficial blood clot on his calf, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
While the Eagles could look to re-sign the recently released Andy Dalton to give the quarterback room another experienced option in Hurts' absence, McKee looks poised to draw the start after moving ahead of Dalton on the depth chart prior to Week 4. Hurts' availability beyond Week 6 is in flux while the Eagles determine the appropriate course for his treatment, so McKee could be headed for a multi-game run as the team's starter. A 2023 sixth-round pick, McKee has appeared in just six games (two starts) during his four-year career, completing 54 of 88 pass attempts (61.4 percent) for 597 yards (6.8 YPA) and a 5:1 TD:INT. Assuming he starts, McKee may have few weapons at his disposal, as running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) and wideout DeVonta Smith (hamstring) were absent from practice Wednesday and could be tracking toward sitting out this weekend.
Eagles' Tanner McKee: Replacing Dalton as No. 2 quarterback
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McKee is expected to be active for Sunday's game against the Rams as the top backup to starter Jalen Hurts, while Andy Dalton serves as the Eagles' No. 3 quarterback, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Despite operating as Hurts' primary backup in 2025, McKee slid to third on the depth chart entering the 2026 season after the Eagles acquired Dalton in a trade with the Panthers back in March. Dalton didn't see any snaps on the season until midway through the second quarter of Monday's 27-7 loss to the Bears, when Hurts made a brief exit from the contest to get checked for a concussion. After three consecutive Saquon Barkley carries got the Eagles near the goal line, Dalton proceeded to throw a costly interception in the end zone on his lone pass attempt before Hurts returned for the next possession. The gaffe appears to have resulted in Dalton turning the backup gig over to McKee, at least for one week.
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Eagles' Tanner McKee: Operating as emergency QB
Rotowire
McKee (coach's decision) is inactive but will serve as the team's emergency third quarterback Monday night against the Bears.
McKee will operate as the team's No. 3 QB for the third straight week to open the regular season. The 26-year-old will only be eligible to enter the contest if both starter Jalen Hurts and top backup Andy Dalton sustain injuries.
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Eagles' Tanner McKee: Emergency QB once again
Rotowire
McKee (coach's decision) is inactive as the emergency third quarterback for Sunday's game against the Titans.
McKee will be the emergency option for the Eagles in consecutive weeks. The 26-year-old will only enter the game if both active quarterbacks cannot continue to play. The quarterback should stay in this role throughout the 2026 season unless Jalen Hurts or Andy Dalton suffers an injury.
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Eagles' Tanner McKee: Emergency option for Week 1
Rotowire
McKee (coach's decision) is inactive as the emergency third quarterback for Sunday's game against the Commanders.
McKee will be the emergency option behind Jalen Hurts and Andy Dalton. The quarterback will only enter the game if both active players are unable to play.
Eagles' Tanner McKee: Unremarkable in preseason loss
Rotowire
McKee completed 12 of 22 passes for 55 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in the Eagles' 30-13 preseason loss to the Bengals on Friday.
McKee drew the start and played the entire first half, but as his final line indicates, he had significant trouble moving the ball downfield. The 2023 sixth-round pick had put together a markedly better performance in preseason Week 2 against the Patriots, when he'd completed 72.7 percent of his 22 pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. McKee's sluggish showing Friday paired with Andy Dalton's solid second-half numbers (12-for-19, 104 yards, one TD) may be enough to give the latter the inside track to the No. 2 job to open the season.
Eagles' Tanner McKee: Working behind Dalton as QB3
Rotowire
McKee has been working as the clear third quarterback behind Jalen Hurts and Andy Dalton during spring practices, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.
McKee was excellent in his lone 2025 preseason appearance, completing 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns while adding a third score on the ground. He looked like someone the Eagles could dangle in trade talks to a team looking to develop a potential starter at QB. However, McKee then disappointed in a Week 18 spot start against the Commanders, going 21-for-40 for 241 yards, one touchdown and one interception while absorbing three sacks in a 24-17 loss. The Eagles traded for Dalton in March, and it looks like McKee has been bumped down the depth chart as a result.
