While 2024 was all about the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl, the team discovered a hidden secret: they have their backup quarterback of the future in Tanner McKee.
During the Eagles' second meeting with the Dallas Cowboys late in the season, Kenny Pickett got injured, and McKee was thrown onto the field after Pickett had replaced Jalen Hurts the previous week for his concussion. McKee stepped up with two touchdown passes and the Eagles blew out the Cowboys 41-7.
In the final week of the regular season against the New York Giants, McKee made his first career start, playing with the backups, as the Eagles still managed to pull out a 20-13 win over the Giants, with McKee throwing two additional touchdowns. McKee finished the season with a 66.7% completion percentage for 323 yards and four touchdowns in two games.
Despite Pickett being the backup for the postseason, the Eagles ended up trading him to the Cleveland Browns, which opened the door for McKee to be the backup. McKee shared with the media the excitement he felt when he found out he was going to be Hurts' back in 2025.
"I was very excited with what happened. I love Philadelphia. I love being here. I want to be here as long as I can. So it was obviously very exciting when Howie called me and told me the news. And obviously, just know they have a lot of trust in me to perform. And obviously if something does happen to (Jalen Hurts), I can move the ball and the offense in how it's supposed to be run. So that was great having that confidence from the top down."
