Who will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback this year? That’s the team’s number one question at the moment. It looks like they’re in for a similar ride as last year, waiting for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision. There aren’t many better options than him, either. However, analyst Connor Orr recently offered Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee as a solution to the Steelers’ issues.
“The Eagles traded for Andy Dalton, and that made who expendable?” Orr asked on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel. “Tanner McKee. High upside, former late sixth, seventh-round pick out of Stanford, has played really well in certain situations. And they’ve been reluctant to trade him, but now they have Andy Dalton, probably less reluctant to trade him.
“If you’re Mike McCarthy, you have Will Howard, you have Mason Rudolph, go get Tanner McKee and say, ‘Alright Aaron [Rodgers], I’ll give you until the end of the week. You can be here with Tanner, and Tanner’s gonna be the quarterback when you’re gone, or is at least gonna be the bridge to the quarterback when you’re gone. I’m not waiting anymore…’ He’d be a great McCarthy quarterback.”
The Eagles drafted McKee in the sixth round in 2023, and he’s played in six games in the last two seasons, including two starts. He’s completed 54 of his 88 pass attempts, throwing for 597 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.
McKee will be 26 years old this season, so he’s still relatively young. The Eagles sent a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Dalton, who Steelers fans may remember for his numerous years with the Cincinnati Bengals. Dalton has spent the last few years as a reliable backup, so Orr might be correct that his presence could make the Eagles more willing to part with McKee.
However, that might not be the best move for the Steelers. Yes, McKee has shown flashes, but his sample size is so small. Also, the Steelers want to compete for a Super Bowl this year. Trading for and starting McKee wouldn’t align with that.
The Steelers may as well stick with Will Howard in that scenario. Mike McCarthy has expressed a lot of confidence in him. While he’s even more inexperienced than McKee, the Steelers have more familiarity with him.
The reality of the situation is that the Steelers are going to be patient with Rodgers again. Waiting for him might be frustrating, but he’s arguably their best option at being a playoff threat this year. Whether that’s the right direction for Pittsburgh to go in is another conversation. McKee is an interesting prospect, but he doesn’t fit the current vision that the Steelers have for the 2026 season.
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