Tanner McKee lands behind two Eagles castoffs in recent backup QB ranking

USA Today

a day ago

Tanner McKee lands behind two Eagles castoffs in recent backup QB ranking Eagles' Tanner McKee lands behind Gardner Minshew and Marcus Mariota in a ranking of NFL backup quarterbacks
Once upon a time, there was a saying. It went something like this. The most popular player on many NFL rosters is the backup quarterback. It makes sense, sort of. Strangely, that may still be true in some areas based on the theory's intention, but nothing could be further from the truth in the Philadelphia Eagles organization. This is Jalen Hurts' team, and there's no debating that.
While the originator of the above statement can't be determined or credited, the analysis makes sense when dissected further. Pro football is a win-now environment. Many fan bases grow weary with their starter quickly if he isn't performing and want quick fixes. Chants for the backup quarterback can sometimes grow louder when he's highly touted and charismatic.
Fortunately, Philadelphia doesn't have those problems. A legitimate MVP candidate leads their quarterback room. Joining him in the meeting room this summer is a proven backup, Tanner McKee.
The former Stanford Cardinal standout has proven he has potential and can play at a high level. The third quarterback on the depth chart features a battle between a once-exciting prospect that lands in Philadelphia by way of a trade (Dorian Thompson-Robinson) and a rookie sixth-round choice, Kyle McCord.
The quarterback room could evoke league-wide envy. The Eagles are stocked but, by the looks of things, somewhat underappreciated.
Tanner McKee lands in the bottom half of a ranking of backup NFL quarterbacks.
No Eagles coach or player needs to be told that Tanner McKee has what it takes to play football at the highest level. No fan needs that reminder. No member of the Philadelphia roster needs an explanation. It appears, however, that the national media could benefit from some newer scouting reports.
Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano ranked the NFL's backup quarterbacks ahead of the 2025 season. McKee lands just past the midway point at 19. Here's the explanation.
"McKee made the most of his Week 18 start against the New York Giants, who were more than ready for their offseason vacation. (He) completed 27-of-41 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The lone start was impressive enough for the team to trade (Kenny) Pickett to the Browns. McKee lacks experience but has the luxury of playing on a loaded team in case he needs to step in for Jalen Hurts."
Pickett, the man Tanner sat behind on the depth chart last season, lands four spots behind McKee at 23. Here's more:
"It wouldn't be a surprise if the four quarterbacks vying for the starting job this summer play musical chairs with the depth chart order. According to reports, Pickett is getting the first crack at the starting gig, but Dillon Gabriel has had some reps with the first-team offense. We'll pencil in Pickett as QB2 here for Week 1 because Gabriel has impressed the local reporters in Cleveland. It appears popular rookie Shedeur Sanders and veteran Joe Flacco have fallen behind in the rotation of arms."
McKee's ranking seems too low. Again, perhaps updated scouting reports were needed as two former Birds, Gardner Minshew II and Marcus Mariota, land at 14 and seven, respectively. Neither is a better player than Tanner, and though they both have shown promise at various points in their careers, both have done little recently to warrant top 15 rankings.
The eyeball test is all that's needed here. There's no way Mariota is the seventh-best backup in the NFL. There's no way Jaxson Dart, ranked fifth, is that much better than McKee when the rookie hasn't even taken a snap yet. While Manzano always delivers quality work, slotting McKee so low is a headscratcher.
Then again, we're entering June. We have all summer, so none of this should matter now.