Potential Trade Destinations For Eagles QB Tanner McKee

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Last week, the Eagles traded for Panthers QB Andy Dalton in a deal that was humble on the surface. However, it was the proverbial canary in the coal mine for another potential transaction, one that’s potentially far more interesting. Everyone loves the backup quarterback, and Eagles backup Tanner McKee has piqued intrigue around the league with his sparse appearances in the past few years. With Dalton on board, the immediate question was whether McKee would be heading out next. There was some trade buzz about him earlier this offseason, but multiple Eagles reporters have since said a McKee deal isn’t around the corner or anything like that. Still, once you connect all the dots, it seems glaringly obvious that the Eagles will trade McKee, and probably before the start of minicamps in June. Why A McKee Trade Feels Inevitable Buckle up, because we’re going to channel our inner Brian Windhorst for a few hundred words. Let’s start with the premise that the Eagles are a sharp organization. They’ve been to three Super Bowls in the last decade, won two and have had double-digit wins each of the past four seasons. General manager Howie Roseman has rebuilt the squad a couple of times in that span with savvy moves that compound to give him even more of an advantage. Dalton becomes the third quarterback on the roster after the trade, joining McKee and starting QB Jalen Hurts , both of whom are entrenched in their current roles. Philadelphia did not give up a lot for Dalton, sending a 2027 seventh-rounder to Carolina while inheriting his $4 million compensation, $2 million of which is guaranteed. But relative to how most teams handle their third-string quarterback, it’s a significant investment. Roseman values picks, especially in 2027 which is expected to be a better class, and $4 million for a third-string quarterback is a notable chunk for a team that isn’t flush with financial flexibility right now. It doesn’t seem to be the kind of sharp move the Eagles are known for. (Windhorst fingers) So why would Roseman do that? Roseman believes in keeping a well-stocked quarterback room. At one point, he said he wanted Philadelphia to be a quarterback factory, a quote that got memed to death for a while. However, it proved prescient. Drafting Hurts while Carson Wentz was on a franchise contract is the most compelling success story of Roseman’s strategy, but the Eagles have added value with a variety of other low-cost moves at the position. McKee is in the final year of his rookie deal and will likely be looking for a clearer path to playing time as a free agent in 2027. Dalton is 38 years old and also in a contract year, so he’s not a long-term replacement for McKee. That role would fall to a rookie, who would have four years to develop into a viable backup and perhaps even a trade asset, just like McKee has since being taken in the sixth round out of Stanford in 2023. A rookie might not be ready to serve as the backup for a Super Bowl-contending squad like the Eagles right out of the gates, however. Dalton would be. Trading McKee now and locking in a pick instead of waiting to see how the compensatory formula shakes out in a year makes some sense for the Eagles, but they needed to make sure they had insurance at backup quarterback, a position that can become frighteningly important in a blink during the season. In that context, the premium they paid to acquire Dalton all of a sudden makes a lot more sense. This doesn’t mean the Eagles have to trade McKe…