Over the last two seasons, it has seemed like Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee has locked himself in as QB2 on the Eagles....until this year.
After the Eagles traded for Andy Dalton in the offseason, there appears to be a big position battle that is about to happen coming up at training camp between him and McKee for the right to back up Jalen Hurts. Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano
ranked all 32 backup quarterbacks in the NFL with Dalton being the Eagles' choice at 19.
"Dalton, who heads into his age-39 season, is Jalen Hurts’s backup after spending the past three years with Bryce Young and the Panthers. He briefly took the job from Young in 2024, but he was only the starter for five games before sustaining an injury in a car crash, which opened the door for Young to return to the field. Now in his 16th year with 169 career starts, Dalton is no longer the kind of backup who can steal a starting opportunity. He’s the well-seasoned, savvy veteran who’s only expected to play in case of emergency."
Andy Dalton picked over Tanner McKee to be Eagles' backup in 2026
So far at Eagles OTAs, Dalton has been taking more of the backup snaps than McKee. Dalton has had a mixed performance, with Week 2 going better than Week 1, but McKee has struggled in the past week.
While many thought McKee would be a lock to be the backup since he has been for the last year and was a trade candidate in the offseason, it appears as though Dalton might get the edge. Dalton is a longtime NFL veteran who has played in many systems, so he knows what it takes to succeed in new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's scheme.
Things continue to go south for McKee, who was thought of as someone who could have competed for a starting job in 2026, but starting with the Washington Commanders' Week 18 game last year, it hasn't been going well. If the Eagles do trade McKee, the projected value for him is a fifth-round pick at best. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has insisted on a second or third-round pick for him, so at this point, there is zero shot McKee gets traded.
Read more: Latest Eagles mock draft would be a bad sign for Jalen Hurts' uncertain future
Maybe the next few months will change for McKee and Dalton's backup battle, but for the time being, McKee doesn't look to be in good shape, as Dalton might end up backing up Hurts in Week 1.
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