The Philadelphia Eagles made the surprising decision to trade for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, and this move suggests that the high-upside backup Tanner McKee is on the trade block. Despite his relatively disappointing 2025, Jalen Hurts is still firmly entrenched atop the depth chart, and Dalton will likely be the primary backup. While he has lost a step, he remains one of the league’s best backup quarterbacks and is more than capable of handling QB2 duties on a talented roster.
This makes Tanner McKee somewhat expendable, and the former sixth-round pick could generate some trade interest. Selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Stanford product hasn’t played much, but has impressed during his limited action. Making two starts through his first three seasons, McKee has completed 61.4% of his passes for 597 yards, 6.8 yards per attempt, five touchdowns, and one interception. He’s also played remarkably well in the preseason, for whatever that’s worth.
Nobody will trade for Tanner McKee and make him their unquestioned starter, but the Stanford product has shown enough potential to generate some interest. There aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around, and one of the following three teams could make a move for McKee to see if he can bring any life to the quarterback room.
3 Teams That Could Pursue Tanner McKee After the Andy Dalton Trade
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns and first-year head coach Todd Monken appear to be comfortable with Shedeur Sanders as the team’s Week 1 starter, but they really should have a better Plan B. While the fifth-round pick went 3-4 in his seven starts, he ranked at or near the bottom of just about every passing metric possible. He completed just 56.6% of his passes, threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and the advanced metrics do not paint a prettier picture.
Young players can improve, but Sanders has a long way to go before he’s even close to playing like a franchise quarterback. The Browns haven’t had a true answer at quarterback in ages, so they might as well trade a draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Tanner McKee. McKee can provide some competition for Sanders and would probably start by October if the Colorado product doesn’t improve on his rookie campaign.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers has yet to make a decision on his NFL future, but even if he returns to the field, he’s not a long-term solution. The four-time NFL MVP is playing on a year-to-year basis at this stage in his career, and Pittsburgh must find someone who offers some type of long-term promise. Draft experts all agree that the 2026 NFL Draft is weak on quarterback talent, so the Steelers may as well send a mid- to late-round pick to the Eagles for Tanner McKee. The Steelers can keep him on the bench in 2026, evaluate him, and see if he has what it takes to be the long-awaited heir to Ben Roethlisberger.
New York Jets
Geno Smith is back where it all began, but much like Rodgers, the former second-round pick is not New York’s quarterback of the future. While he can do an adequate job as a bridge quarterback, the Jets must find someone who has the potential to be the long-term answer under center. Tanner McKee may or may not have what it takes to be a franchise quarterback, but it can’t hurt to trade a late-round pick to the Eagles to see what he has in the tank.