Philadelphia Eagles Backup QB Projected to Have ‘Elevated’ Trade Value

Even the most aggressive and self serving NFL talent evaluators are loathe to talk their sixth and seventh round picks up too much. That’s mainly because it doesn’t help them to do so.

If one of those picks becomes a dependable starter, it’s a win. In the rare case they become a high value starter or even, in some rare cases, a star, then that’s the kind of success those talent evaluators can hang their hat on for years.

The Philadelphia Eagles head into 2025 with a player on their roster, backup quarterback Tanner McKee, who might be one of the rare late round picks that pays massive dividends. McKee may have already gone from a throwaway, sixth round pick in the 2023 NFL draft to someone who could have elevated value in a possible trade.

It speaks to the work McKee has done in the last 2 years that he might be more valuable to the Eagles in 2025 as the backup to reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts that a trade probably won’t be on the table until next spring.

From Bleeding Green Nation: “Now, if McKee plays well in the preseason, (general manager) Howie Roseman is going to get trade offers for McKee. He probably already has. And if someone offers a 1st-round pick you take it. You just do. But I wouldn’t expect that to happen. A 3rd-round pick, no way. Not enough. The question is would you take a 2nd-rounder for McKee, and I would really be reluctant … There’s no doubt in my mind McKee can be a plus NFL starter, and he’ll probably get that opportunity if he hits free agency after the 2026 season. But right now, the Eagles need him more than they need more picks.”

Eagles Have Long-Term QB Development Plan

From the outside looking in, the Eagles seem to have developed a pretty astute quarterback development cycle behind Hurts.

Roseman swung a deal before the 2024 season for former first round pick Kenny Pickett to come in and be Hurts’ backup, with McKee as the emergency third quarterback. When McKee showed he was up to the task to move up to the No. 2 behind Hurts, Pickett got what he wanted in terms of another shot at becoming an NFL starter with a trade to the Cleveland Browns on March 10.

Now, with 2025 sixth round pick Kyle McCord as the likely emergency third quarterback — until he proves he can become the backup and the Eagles can cash in on McKee via a trade or McKee can cash in with another team in free agency.

“McCord will likely start out competing for the No. 3 role with (Dorian) Thompson-Robinson, who arrived in a trade with the Browns in March,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote on May 15. “McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, has maximized his limited opportunities and earned the No. 2 role behind Hurts. McCord will have a chance to develop behind the scenes as part of a quality QB room.”

The key to keeping the cycle chugging along is keeping quarterback costs — beyond Hurts — to negligible amounts. That works really well with McKee and McCord, who are only due a combined $2.13 million in salary for 2025 and a combined $2.15 million in 2026.