The competition at backup quarterback has turned into one of the more interesting storylines for the Philadelphia Eagles heading into the 2024 regular season.
After the team sent a 2024 third-round pick (No. 98 overall) and two 2025 seventh-round picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Kenny Pickett in March, Pickett usurped Tanner McKee as QB2 on Philly’s depth chart.
The depth chart hasn’t changed, and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has continued to say Pickett is the team’s backup behind starter Jalen Hurts. But with McKee arguably outperforming Pickett both in preseason games as well as in practice, a change is certainly possible. So is a trade.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports put together a list of the NFL’s top trade candidates, and he believes Pickett is one of them.
Will Philadelphia Eagles Trade QB Kenny Pickett to QB-Needy Team?
Pickett, who was drafted No. 20 overall by Pittsburgh in 2022, has yet to live up to his first-round status.
The 26-year-old QB started 12 games in 2022 and again in 2023, going 7-5 for the Steelers each season. He has completed 62.6% of his pass attempts for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over his first two seasons.
“Even after a relatively underwhelming summer, the Philadelphia Eagles would surely prefer to keep Pickett’s NFL experience onboard as insurance for Jalen Hurts. The ex-Pittsburgh Steelers starter has never enjoyed a better supporting cast,” Benjamin wrote on August 15.
“That said, the Eagles are always in the business of collecting/flipping quarterbacks, and third-stringer Tanner McKee has shown enough poise to warrant No. 2 consideration in back-to-back years. Pickett is local to the Philly area, but he’d almost certainly sign off on a chance to get right back into a starting gig, adding to the appeal of another move.”
Benjamin named the Los Angeles Chargers and the Minnesota Vikings as potential fits, as both teams currently have quarterbacks (Justin Herbert and J.J. McCarthy, respectively) out with injuries.
Eagles Fans, Nick Sirianni Weigh in on Philly’s Backup QB Situation
#Eagles QB Tanner McKee was 15-for-19 for 140 yards tonight and showed some impressive poise on a few throws tonight with traffic around him. Interesting QB2 situation in Philly.
Through two preseason games, McKee has graded out as Philadelphia’s best offensive player by PFF.
In Philadelphia’s second preseason game against the New England Patriots, McKee led the team on a game-winning 70-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. He went 15-19 for 140 yards. By contrast, Pickett went 11-13 for 67 yards against New England.
Eagles Nation has also made its love for McKee known. In an August 16 poll conducted by 94WIP’s “Morning Show,” 80% of Eagles’ fans chose McKee over Pickett when asked which QB was better.
“Pickett is wavering as the best option as a backup quarterback for Jalen Hurts,” Brooks Kubena of The Athletic wrote on August 15.
For what it’s worth, both Pickett and McKee struggled in the team’s August 18 practice. McKee threw a 90-yard pick six to Parry Nickerson and finished 3-9 with two interceptions. Pickett completed 13 of his 22 passing attempts.
For his part, Sirianni has refused to name McKee QB2, and has stuck by Pickett as Hurts’ backup, at least publicly. “You saw where they went in there today,” Sirianni said after the win over New England, via The Athletic. “Kenny’s our No. 2. Tanner’s our No. 3. And I’m happy they’re both on the roster.”
That said, McKee has also gotten a decent amount of second-team reps in practice, so it’s clear the Eagles like him. Pro Football Network’s Anthony DiBona arguably put it best: “McKee has clearly outplayed Pickett through the team’s first two preseason games, even if Sirianni doesn’t want to admit it just yet.”
Will McKee’s emergence for the Eagles make Pickett expendable and put him on the trade block again? Stranger things have happened. Stay tuned.
