Eagles Stay or Go 2025: Will Eagles trade a backup QB?
Eagles Stay or Go 2025: Will Eagles trade a backup QB? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro bring back Stay or Go in 2025, trying to figure out the futures of every Eagles player on the roster.
Up first: Quarterback
Ian Book
Roob: The Eagles clearly like Book, who was here during the 2022 season and again late this year. He's never going to play here, but he's a smart guy who picks up the offense quickly and you could definitely see him going into coaching at some point, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were here. The Eagles have been a real springboard for quarterbacks who've gone into coaching – Mike Kafka, Matt Nagy, G.J. Kinne, Josh McCown, Tee Martin, Thad Lewis and Doug Pederson all spent time as players with the Eagles and are now coaching. So Book may be here, but it won't be as a player.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: The Eagles brought back Book late in the 2024 season when Jalen Hurts was dealing with his concussion and he was even briefly on the active roster. Book has been with the Eagles in just two seasons and the Eagles have gone to the Super Bowl in both of them. Coincidence? … Yeah, probably. But the Eagles obviously liked Book enough to bring him back when they were up against it last year and he'll still be a phone call away in 2025 if something happens again. But he's a long shot to actually be on the roster to start the season. Book was a fourth-round pick in 20201 but has played in just one regular season game. He could have a future in coaching if he's interested.
Verdict: Goes
Jalen Hurts
Roob: Tough one, but I do think Hurts will likely be back in 2025 for his sixth season with the Eagles. OK seriously, Hurts may already be the greatest quarterback in Eagles history – 160 touchdowns, six playoff wins, four playoff berths in four years as a starter, two Super Bowl trips in three years, a Super Bowl championship, a Super Bowl MVP – and he doesn't even turn 27 until August. No quarterback since Davey O'Brien in 1939 and 1940 has started at least 10 games for the Eagles and retired having never played for another team. You never know what the future holds, but you'd love to see Hurts have a career like Ben Roethlisberger, Dan Marino, John Elway, Troy Aikman or Terry Bradshaw and spend his entire career with one team.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: The Eagles are probably going to keep the Super Bowl MVP around for another season. The were plenty of questions about Hurts throughout the 2024 regular season and, honestly, the discourse around Hurts is exhausting. Is he elite? Is he top 10? Top 5? Who cares? Three of the best games we have ever seen Hurts play came in Super Bowl LVII, this year's NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LIX. Say whatever you want about Hurts but he shows up in the biggest moments. Does that mean he's a perfect player? No, of course not. And it's still fair to criticize him when he makes mistakes in the regular season. But the Eagles have a good quarterback who is happy to do whatever it takes to win. He's the right guy for this team and he'll soon have a Super Bowl ring for proof.
Verdict: Stays
Tanner McKee
Roob: McKee showed enough in his brief appearance vs. the Cowboys and his start against the Giants – four TDs, no INTs, 117.2 passer rating – that teams out there are going to call Howie Roseman just to get an idea what it would take to pry McKee loose. I can't imagine the Eagles would get offered enough for Roseman to part ways with an awfully promising young quarterback, although if the offer was good enough you have to take it. But I also think McKee is too good to spend 2025 – his third NFL season – as a No. 3. Which brings us to …
Verdict: Stays
Dave: Our suspicions about McKee were proven right in 2024. When the former sixth-round pick got a chance to play this season, he was really impressive. While he was inactive most of the season as the Eagles' third-string emergency quarterback, Pickett in two games completed 30 of 45 passes (66.7%) for 323 yards with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He's the second-best quarterback on the roster even though the Eagles never bumped him up the depth chart. I think he's ready to be their backup quarterback going into 2025. Perhaps, the Eagles would trade McKee if the offer was good enough but they shouldn't be in a hurry to get rid of the young and talented quarterback. We know the Eagles value the position and he has shown traits that are worth developing.
Verdict: Stays
Kenny Pickett
Roob: There's a lot to like about the way Pickett played in the Dallas and Washington games. He got the ball down the field, threw a couple touchdowns, made good decisions and played very tough. Pickett is only 26, 15-10 as a starting quarterback and just two years removed from being a 1st-round pick and I'm going to guess that there's a team out there that either plans to draft a quarterback and would like a smart veteran to begin the 2025 season as the starter while mentoring the young guy or already has an underachieving quarterback on the roster and wants a veteran to compete in training camp. If you're Howie Roseman, you're sitting there with two capable backup quarterbacks who have some value, and you don't need two. So I'm thinking the Eagles trade Pickett for a mid-round pick, move forward with McKee as No. 2 and Howie has himself another pick, which would be more useful than having two backup QBs. Howie loves draft picks. I think he turns Pickett into one.
Verdict: Goe
Dave: This is a tough one. I absolutely think the Eagles should be open to trading Pickett before the start of the season but I don't have a lot of confidence that they'll do it. They traded for Pickett before the 2024 season for a reason and he didn't do anything to hurt their confidence in him. Part of the reason the Eagles traded for Pickett was because he had two years left on his rookie contract and now the Eagles are going into that second year. In 2024, Pickett completed just under 60% of his passes for 291 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was solid. Could the Eagles be opportunistic and trade Pickett after an injury somewhere in the league? Sure. But, for now, I think Pickett will be around to start the 2025 season. The Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl season and they'll want the most important position on the field to be loaded.
Verdict: Stays
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