No one could have predicted that the Philadelphia Eagles would lose Jalen Hurts to a blood clot injury and that Tanner McKee would step in as starter.
Hurts was ruled out of the Eagles' Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers due to a superficial blood clot in his calf. He suffered the calf injury during the Eagles' Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams.
With Hurts expected to miss at least one game, the Eagles will turn to McKee at quarterback for now. This is his chance to prove that Philly was wrong for what they did to him before the season started.
Tanner McKee is ready to show that he should have been the Eagles' backup the whole time
McKee has played in six career games, started two, and has shown some promise early in his NFL career. He has completed 61.4% of his passes for 597 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. McKee has rushed for seven yards on 13 carries.
This will be the first time in McKee's career he'll start a regular-season game outside Week 18. Poor guy has a tough task ahead.
McKee may not have his top three running backs, including Saquon Barkley, who hasn't practiced this week. DeVonta Smith hasn't practiced in about three weeks and could miss his third straight game. The offensive line could roll with Willie Lampkin, Jake Majors, and Markel Bell, with Jordan Mailata and Tyler Steen for the second straight game.
If there is a positive to take away, though, it is that McKee has real chemistry with the new starters. Guys like Majors, Lampkin, Bell, Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, and Darius Cooper are all guys that McKee was on the field with in the preseason. It's a rare case that a backup quarterback might be more comfortable than some thought.
This is also a chance for McKee to really stick it to the Eagles. Remember, he was the third-string quarterback in Week 1 and got beat out by Andy Dalton for the backup job. Since then, Dalton threw an interception and was released, and McKee moved up the depth chart.
The Eagles will likely bring back Dalton as the backup so rookie Cole Payton doesn't feel the pressure to be the next man up. NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported, though, that Dalton is weighing his options and has other offers from teams.
Read more: Landon Dickerson must play for Eagles (but doesn't mean he shouldn't be traded)
Regardless, it looks like McKee will get the start and a chance to play. There's excitement to see how he responds and handles a big moment to help his team win and prove he deserved to be the backup in the first place.
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