Everyone loves the backup quarterback, and Eagles backup Tanner McKee has piqued intrigue around the league with his sparse appearances in the past few years. With Dalton on board, the immediate question was whether McKee would be heading out next. There was some trade buzz about him earlier this offseason, but multiple Eagles reporters have since said a McKee deal isn’t around the corner or anything like that. 

Still, once you connect all the dots, it seems glaringly obvious that the Eagles will trade McKee, and probably before the start of minicamps in June. 

Why A McKee Trade Feels Inevitable

Buckle up, because we’re going to channel our inner Brian Windhorst for a few hundred words. Let’s start with the premise that the Eagles are a sharp organization. They’ve been to three Super Bowls in the last decade, won two and have had double-digit wins each of the past four seasons. General manager Howie Roseman has rebuilt the squad a couple of times in that span with savvy moves that compound to give him even more of an advantage. 

Dalton becomes the third quarterback on the roster after the trade, joining McKee and starting QB Jalen Hurts, both of whom are entrenched in their current roles. Philadelphia did not give up a lot for Dalton, sending a 2027 seventh-rounder to Carolina while inheriting his $4 million compensation, $2 million of which is guaranteed. But relative to how most teams handle their third-string quarterback, it’s a significant investment. Roseman values picks, especially in 2027 which is expected to be a better class, and $4 million for a third-string quarterback is a notable chunk for a team that isn’t flush with financial flexibility right now. It doesn’t seem to be the kind of sharp move the Eagles are known for. 

(Windhorst fingers) So why would Roseman do that? 

Roseman believes in keeping a well-stocked quarterback room. At one point, he said he wanted Philadelphia to be a quarterback factory, a quote that got memed to death for a while. However, it proved prescient. Drafting Hurts while Carson Wentz was on a franchise contract is the most compelling success story of Roseman’s strategy, but the Eagles have added value with a variety of other low-cost moves at the position. 

McKee is in the final year of his rookie deal and will likely be looking for a clearer path to playing time as a free agent in 2027. Dalton is 38 years old and also in a contract year, so he’s not a long-term replacement for McKee. That role would fall to a rookie, who would have four years to develop into a viable backup and perhaps even a trade asset, just like McKee has since being taken in the sixth round out of Stanford in 2023. 

A rookie might not be ready to serve as the backup for a Super Bowl-contending squad like the Eagles right out of the gates, however. Dalton would be. Trading McKee now and locking in a pick instead of waiting to see how the compensatory formula shakes out in a year makes some sense for the Eagles, but they needed to make sure they had insurance at backup quarterback, a position that can become frighteningly important in a blink during the season. In that context, the premium they paid to acquire Dalton all of a sudden makes a lot more sense. 

This doesn’t mean the Eagles have to trade McKee. Roseman has been willing to hold onto players for ages if his asking price isn’t met, and evidently Philadelphia has been asking for a lot for McKee. The trade cost for backups is typically in the range of a Day 3 pick, but it would not be shocking to learn that Roseman has been asking for a Day 2 pick for McKee given the allure of his potential. In the end, moving him for a fourth or fifth-round pick might prove to be the sweet spot. 

The draft will provide clarity both for the Eagles and for any teams interested in McKee. That’s the next deadline to watch for a potential trade. However, a deal could come together after the draft or even during the preseason. The only true deadline here is the midseason trade deadline. Roseman has options but all the tea leaves suggest the best and most preferred option is trading McKee. 

There are a handful of teams that make a lot of sense as potential landing spots.

New York Jets

This is the team that has been linked to McKee the most, and there are a bunch of dots to connect here. New York has one of the thinnest quarterback depth charts in the league. Even if a long-term solution won’t come until 2027, the Jets have indicated a desire to make multiple low-cost moves to fill out the depth chart for 2026. 

The first one is in the books after a trade with the Raiders for Geno Smith, who will likely be the starter in Week 1. A backup and potential alternative if Smith struggles is needed. McKee fits that profile, and there has been some buzz that the front office likes his potential.

A notable connection is Jets OC Frank Reich, who has Stanford connections with McKee. Reich served as the interim coach this past year before taking his current role in New York. McKee is also a big, classically built pocket passer, which is exactly the kind of archetype Reich gravitates toward. 

The Jets won’t want to overspend here. If the Eagles’ asking price was lower, a trade may have happened already. If Philadelphia is willing to take a mid-round pick, though, there’s upside for the Jets even with all of the other needs they have to address. McKee gives them a younger dart throw to evaluate with their other options in 2027. 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins spent big on QB Malik Willis in free agency this offseason, and before that they were talking up 2025 seventh-round QB Quinn Ewers as a potential starter in 2026. So on the surface, it doesn’t seem like Miami would make a lot of sense as a destination for McKee. 

But the new regime has talked about adding multiple quarterbacks this year and keeping a consistent pipeline in the future, much like how the Eagles handle the position. The Willis signing indicates the Dolphins want to have multiple bites at the apple in trying to find a long-term quarterback. The Dolphins have 11 draft picks, seven of which are on the first two days of the event. That leaves them four Day 3 picks to work with to swing a trade for McKee while still addressing the other needs on the roster.

Another connection to know here is former Eagles OC Kevin Patullo, who joined Miami’s staff this offseason. He overlapped with McKee in Philadelphia for the past two years and the two built a rapport. The Dolphins would have some inside knowledge of McKee that could help them be comfortable giving up a pick to bring him in. 

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams are currently without a backup quarterback after employing veteran Jimmy Garoppolo in the role the past two seasons. Despite buzz that the Dolphins and Cardinals might lure Garoppolo away with opportunities to start, he remains unsigned deep into March. A return to Los Angeles is likely on the table, but it’s also possible that Garoppolo is done being a backup and will retire if no chance to play emerges. 

In that scenario, the Rams would need a new backup, and the position would take on extra importance given their wide-open window in 2026. Matthew Stafford played all 17 games last year, but there was a ton of concern about the 38-year-old’s back last August. Los Angeles just added former Eagles assistant Brian Johnson to the coaching staff this offseason, and he was the offensive coordinator during McKee’s rookie year in Philadelphia.

Detroit Lions

Former Stanford HC David Shaw is currently on the Lions’ coaching staff, so that gives Detroit a strong connection to McKee. Shaw recruited him to Stanford and McKee was the starter for Shaw’s final season with the Cardinal. The Lions signed QB Teddy Bridgewater to serve as the backup to Jared Goff for the upcoming season, but they could use a younger investment in the room. That said, this might be a connection to pay more attention to in 2027 when McKee is a free agent and Bridgewater’s contract has expired. He’d make a ton of sense as the long-term backup to Goff.