There will be a lot of Philadelphia Eagles fans who will be watching Week 18 against the Washington Commanders closely, not only because of the playoff implications, but also because there is one reserve player who might be playing his last game.
Despite the Eagles still fighting for the number-two seed, head coach Nick Sirianni will play it more conservatively and let the starters rest before the playoffs. That means there will be a lot more backups making starts.
The one backup that will have everyone's attention in the game is backup quarterback Tanner McKee, who is starting in place of Jalen Hurts. McKee could do a lot for his and the Eagles' future if he can play well against Washington.
A good Tanner McKee performance against Washington could be his last in Philly
When the Eagles selected McKee in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Stanford, not many thought he would end up being anything more than a backup. After his play in 2024, that narrative has changed as he has a future in the NFL.
Hurts and Kenny Pickett had injuries late last year, so McKee got to play in a game and a half with him, making his first career start in Week 18 against the New York Giants. McKee first led the Eagles to a win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 with two touchdowns in the second half, but would do it again with another two scores to take down the Giants with the backups.
In two games last year, McKee completed 66.7% of his passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns, with zero interceptions. That was enough for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to trade away Pickett to the Cleveland Browns and let McKee know that he would be the backup for the Birds.
At the beginning of the season, McKee had a finger injury that caused him not to be the backup from the start, but he has appeared in three games this year in relief action. He's completed all three of his passes for 33 yards, all in the 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
This is a massive game for McKee, and the Eagles have a lot that can come out of this performance. If McKee has another performance as he did against the Giants last year, a lot more teams are going to be calling Roseman to acquire his services. That could help the Eagles pick up a high draft pick to use in trades or select a young player with it.
Read more: Eagles' Week 18 performance could end up showing $700,000 flex on Commanders
There will be a lot of Eagles fans cheering for McKee to do well, but fans should enjoy it while it lasts because it could be the last time he steps on the field for Philly.