A couple of quarterback transactions were made, as teams begin to retool their roster in an effort to maximize the 53 players allowed on their roster. The Eagles, in an act of precaution, possibly due to a lack of faith in their back-end players in their quarterback room.
Because of a short-term injury to Tanner McKee, the Eagles decided to trade for journeyman quarterback Sam Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth and seventh-round pick in 2026.
Eagles' grade in Sam Howell trade: B
While Mike Garafolo reports the injury is short-term for McKee, Ian Rapoport has mentioned that the injury is a fractured thumb. Because of this, the Eagles weren't in the best position going into week one at their backup QB position.
With the acquisition of Sam Howell, the Eagles have at least acquired a quarterback with some success. Howell has appeared in 20 NFL games with 18 starts, boasting a record of 5-13, which is significantly better than the Eagles' other options of Kyle McCord and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. While Tanner McKee may be healthy and active by Week 3 or 4, the Eagles still act proactively by strengthening their QB3, with Howell, who is only set to make $1.1 million in the final year of his rookie deal.
Look for the Eagles to keep McCord on their practice squad while McKee remains a healthy inactive, as DTR has already been confirmed as being released from the team. NFL teams are allowed to elevate players from the practice squad, and the Eagles could utilize this rule to maximize their roster flexibility. Regardless, the Eagles did add a decent quarterback for much-needed insurance as they defend their 2024 championship.
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The Eagles clearly are invested in McKee and presumably hope to "flip him" for a draft pick, based on his long-term potential upside. The Eagles hopefully could develop McCord to fill McKee's role in the future.