The 2022 season saw the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl, and while that is an amazing feat, the job was left unfinished. The Eagles did not take home the Lombardi Trophy, and as a result, head in 2023 with a new focus of getting another chance.
There is little doubt about who Philadelphia’s franchise QB is going forward. Jalen Hurts was paid as such this offseason, and as a result, the Eagles’ quarterback room looks set for the coming season.
In addition to Hurts, Philadelphia added NFL veteran Marcus Mariota this offseason, a long-time starter, to their team. Mariota comes to Philadelphia looking for a fresh start in a new role.
While he feels secure as the Eagles’ QB2, former Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee is a rookie sixth-round selection and looking to make an impression on his new team to show they made the right choice in selecting him this year.
Tanner McKee Trying To Stick Around
Before McKee ever stepped on a football field at the University of Stanford, he spent two years on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His first season with the team was in 2020, where he would only appear in one game before eventually winning the starting job the following season.
McKee would go on to play in 23 games in his Stanford career, starting 22 of them and finishing with a record of 6-16. Despite the poor record, McKee’s body of work was enough for the Eagles to take him 188th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and will look to develop the inexperienced quarterback.
The Eagles currently have four quarterbacks on the roster. The remaining QB outside of Hurts and Mariota is third-year quarterback Ian Book. The Eagles claimed Book off waivers last offseason, and he’s been with the team ever since.
McKee, meanwhile, has the advantage of being drafted by Philadelphia, proving the team may have invested interest in keeping and developing him. Book, on the other hand, has been in the system longer and has more NFL experience. It’s possible the team values that more after evaluating each player’s preseason body of work.
It will be an uphill climb for McKee to establish roots in Philadelphia, but with a solid preseason showing, he may be able to convince the Eagles to keep him around.