The Eagles are obviously hoping to have Jalen Hurts back and completely healthy for their playoff run.
But who should his backup be?
Hurts is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol but even if he is good to go against the Packers in the wild card round on Sunday, the Eagles still have a decision to make. Will it be Kenny Pickett or Tanner McKee as his backup?
Both Pickett and McKee have done a nice job when called upon recently but it’s probably fair to say McKee has outshined the former first-round pick. And since Pickett is still dealing with a ribs injury that kept him out of practice last week, it would potentially be an ideal time to make the switch.
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When asked on Monday if he has considered flipping the two on the depth chart, head coach Nick Sirianni sidestepped the question.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in both of the guys,” Sirianni said. “I think when Kenny’s had to play, he’s played really well. When Tanner’s had to play, he’s played really well. We got a really good room. Obviously, Jalen has had an outstanding season. So we just have a great room.
“Credit to Howie (Roseman) and his staff, getting these guys in here and then just a great job by these guys taking advantage of their opportunities. And great job by Kellen (Moore), Kevin (Patullo), Doug (Nussmeier) helping these guys develop. We feel really, really good about the room of where we are.”
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While Sirianni is generally tight-lipped about nearly everything these days, he had an opportunity to shoot down any speculation about a switch at the backup QB spot and didn’t take it.
On one hand, the Eagles traded for Pickett before the season because they clearly valued having a backup quarterback with significant NFL experience under his belt. But on the other, it’s hard to ignore just how well McKee has played the last two weeks and how well he played back in training camp.
The other element of this is Pickett’s injury. So it’s not just about McKee vs. Pickett. It’s about a healthy McKee vs. a banged-up Pickett.
Because Sirianni was so tight-lipped on Monday, we might not know what the depth chart says until inactives come out on Sunday at 3 p.m.
For the first 15 games this season, Hurts was the starter, Pickett was the backup and McKee was the third-stringer, inactive as the emergency QB on game days. Pickett had to enter the Commanders game a few weeks ago, broke some ribs but fought through it, but the Eagles lost their first game since the bye week.
Against the Cowboys, Pickett played well until he was knocked out of the game and then McKee played even better in relief as the Eagles picked up a win. And in Week 18, playing with a bunch of backups, McKee still managed to run the offense efficiently and moved the football in a win.
Here’s a look at their numbers this season:
Pickett: 25/42 (59.5%), 291 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 86.5 rating
McKee: 30/45 (66.7%), 323 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 117.2 rating
McKee’s passer rating of 117.2 is the third-highest in the NFL this season among QBs with at least 45 attempts, behind just Malik Willis and Lamar Jackson.
Even though Week 18 didn’t matter for playoff seeding, it was another opportunity for McKee to prove himself at the NFL level and he had another strong performance.
“I thought he was in complete control of the game today,” Sirianni said on Sunday. “Making good decisions. I felt like he got to his check down a couple times, that was really impressive, to Will Shipley a couple times. Really impressive. Strung together a couple good quarters last game and then a full good game today. Every time he gets an opportunity in practice, he does a really good job. We're excited about Tanner and the player he is.
“I love our quarterback room, obviously starting with Jalen [Hurts] and all the great things Jalen has done this year to help us get to where we are right now. Kenny [Pickett] has had really good minutes and played a good game last week. Played a good game against Washington. Then Tanner doing what he did today and at the end of the Dallas week last week. Love that room.”
Even if the Eagles don’t make the backup QB switch in this postseason, McKee’s performance makes you wonder what will happen in the offseason. Perhaps the Eagles can trade one of their backups. And if Pickett would bring back a decent pick, the Eagles should be comfortable with McKee as their backup in 2025.
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