Tanner McKee
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee.
For both the Philadelphia Eagles and backup quarterback Tanner McKee, this offseason could end up being the reward for 3 years of hard work — and set up what once seemed like an impossible future for McKee.
According to a report from Essentially Sports on Tuesday, the New York Jets could be in the market for a trade for McKee, a 6th round pick in the 2023 NFL draft who has somehow positioned himself as a possible starter for another team.
“The New York Jets are officially bargain hunting at quarterback, according to league sources,” Essentially Sports NFL reporter Tony Pauline wrote. ” … After last year’s failure at quarterback, the Jets are once again in the market for a starting signal caller to compete with or replace Justin Fields. Much of the narrative outside the league has centered around the team potentially making a trade for Kyler Murray. Yet people in the league tell me if general manager Darren Mougey gets his way, the Jets will look to bring in a less-expensive signal caller, and two names keep entering the conversation: Tanner McKee and Davis Mills.”
Predictions Have Been Rolling for Jets & McKee
The Jets and McKee were a popular match in predictions before the 2025 NFL trade deadline.
McKee shined in place of Super Bowl MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts when Hurts missed most of the final 3 games of the 2024 regular season with a concussion and was equally competent in starting the final regular season game in 2025.
In November, The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia thought the Eagles might have a bargaining chip in McKee with a team going through a massive rebuild. A team like the Jets, who have the longest current playoff drought of any team in the 4 North American professional sports leagues at 15 seasons.
The Jets went through the fire sale before the NFL trade deadline that signaled a massive rebuild under 1st year head coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets now possess 5 first round picks over the next 2 seasons — 2 first rounders in 2026 and 3 first rounders in 2027.
McKee could very well be a stopgap starter in 2026. If he shows he can handle the load moving forward, it could allow the Jets to spend those picks in other ways than drafting a quarterback.
“I was thinking a couple of things here, and one of them is Tanner McKee, because I was trying to look at backups and you say, is there a backup here (who could be a starter)?” Kapadia said on The RingerNFL Show on Thursday, November 6. “I’m a huge Tanner McKee fan. I think it could be done. They’re in line for a big time rebuild. he could be the guy.”
Eagles Could Draft Another QB In 2026
If the Eagles do deal McKee — hopefully for a 3rd or 4th round pick — there’s a good chance they just turn around and draft another quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft.
The Athletic’s Zach Berman predicting Philadelphia could use a 4th round pick on Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green.
Green, 6-foot-6 and 224 pounds, played 3 seasons at Boise State, where he redshirted in 2021, was MWC Freshman of the Year in 2022 and MWC Championship Game MVP in 2023. He transferred to Arkansas, where he threw for 5,868 yards, 34 touchdowns and 20 interceptions to go with 1,379 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns over the last 2 seasons.