Biggest move Eagles must make after Jalen Carter extension

The Eagles need to trade Tanner McKee when the time is right

Standing 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Tanner McKee looks like a prototypical NFL quarterback.

Sure, he’s a tad older than most fourth year players, with the 26-year-old having spent time in college on an LDS mission, but the Stanford product has proven he can make plays when the bal is placed in his hands, with his first two starts as good as any fans will see from a sixth round pick working under a new offensive coordinator in every season of his career.

After completing 48 of his 81 passing attempts for 510 yards and three touchdowns versus just one interception, McKee has put enough quality play on tap between his efforts against the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders to seemingly draw interest from some of the NFL’s quarterback-needy teams, but after failing to be moved before the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s clear Roseman is waiting for the right opportunity to move the Stanford product.

As things presently stand, right now might not be the time, as no major quarterbacks have suffered season-ending injuries this early into camp, but will that remain the case forever? Just last year, big-name quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels, and Daniel Jones missed extensive time due to injuries, and while there’s no knowing when or where the injury bug will hit, when it does, Roseman can’t hesitate to jump on it and make a move with McKee. Why? Because there’s no guarantee he will be rewarded in the compensatory pick formula if he allows the collegiate Cardinal to leave in free agency.

If the Eagles firmly believe that McKee is a better short-term backup for Jalen Hurts than Andy Dalton, which is possible, and they simply allow him to ride out the season in the pursuit of another Super Bowl, some team would most likely offer him a new contract in Marh of 2027, with the potential for a bidding war to even earn him a solid pay-day on a prove-it deal. While this is good news for McKee, as it would allow him to pick the best place to continue his career and take a shot at becoming a franchise quarterback, if his next contract is only worth even $10 million for one year, that won’t give the Eagles a third-round compensatory selection, with that kind of contract falling firmly on Day 3 after breakfast.

Is there a team right now that would consider giving up a third-round pick for McKee? Maybe, maybe not, but what if a team with an older quarterback suffers an injury and suddenly their Super Bowl hopes come into question? What if the Steelers don’t like their reserve behind Aaron Rodgers and suddenly they have to call on a player mere years out of the Big 10 to pursue a Super Bowl if everything else is clicking?

The same goes for a team like the Los Angeles Rams. Sure, they used a first-round pick on Ty Simpson, allowing the dominoes to fall in order for Makai Lemon to fall to the Eagles in the first round, but if he doesn’t look ready to go, would Les Snead allow a very expensive team to have a gap year if Matthew Stafford’s season ends before New Year’s Eve?

If the roles were reversed, Roseman likely wouldn’t.

Would it be interesting to see Roseman make a move right now, making the quarterback hierarchy clear for training camp as each player gets ready for their respective role? Most certainly, but much like the team’s expected desire to add another safety, if the market isn’t there right now, bargains won’t be there for the taking. Fortunately, as the summer inches on and rosters become clearer, there’s little reason to believe McKee won’t be on another team in the not-too-distant future, even if Roseman has to roster a fourth quarterback until the trade deadline midway through the season.