Tanner McKee outperforms Andy Dalton in the Eagles’ confounding backup QB competition — will it matter?
Who would give the Eagles a better chance to win if Jalen Hurts went down? It's an assessment Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni and Sean Mannion are running out of time to make.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tanner McKee outplayed Andy Dalton despite having to work with the Eagles’ mostly third-string offensive line and skill position players.
Nick Sirianni may claim that there has been a fair competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot, and that Dalton has only started both preseason games because he has more experience. But McKee hasn’t had the benefit of performing with players who will actually make the Eagles’ 53-man roster.
And yet, he looked like a far more viable backup to Jalen Hurts than Dalton did in the Eagles’ 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Saturday night. McKee wasn’t without his faults. He missed throws from the pocket and struggled at times when pressured.
» READ MORE: Eagles grades vs. Patriots: Running backs have strong performance, QB2 role still undecided in 24-21 loss
But it is worth questioning how Dalton could end up winning the job, let alone entice some quarterback-needy team into trading for him. There’s still another preseason game and a week until the roster deadline, but time is running out on the 38-year-old veteran.
“We got to continue to give both of them opportunities within practice and potentially games,” Sirianni said. “See how next week goes. Obviously, I’m not there yet.”
While neither quarterback impressed in the preseason opener vs. the Ravens, McKee inched ahead of Dalton in practices over the last few weeks. Not necessarily because he’s been sharp.
But he was more effective in joint practices with the Patriots last week, and even more so in the game two days later. McKee completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in a little over two quarters of action.
“I know stat-wise he came out having a pretty good game, but obviously for all of us there will be corrections within it,” Sirianni said. “But, yeah, thought he did some good things. Made some nice plays. Had a couple fourth downs that we would have liked to convert.
“Not saying those are his fault in that situation, but those fourth downs hurt us, not converting there.”
» READ MORE: Eagles offense shows growth in preseason game No. 2, backup QB race heats up in 24-21 loss at Patriots
While it’s true that McKee’s pass numbers were inflated by yards after the catch, particularly from running back Carson Steele, he got the ball into the hands of his schemed-up outlets when “hot” vs. the blitz.
One such play came late in the game when a defender rushed off the edge and Steele ran a wheel route rather than staying in to block. McKee simply lofted the ball to his open receiver and the tailback did the rest: running 20 yards into the end zone, but not until he hurdled another Patriot.
“He found his shots on a couple when they brought one more than we could protect,” Sirianni said of McKee. “I thought Sean [Mannion] did a good job giving them answers there.”
Mannion dipped a little deeper into his playbook than in Baltimore to combat New England’s more exotic pressures. The Eagles’ new coordinator got a better outing from his offense than he did a week ago, but his game plan was still mostly banal.
He didn’t have to dial up some of the more sophisticated concepts from the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme because the Eagles had a decided advantage up front. The second unit O-line, especially guards Willie Lampkin and Drew Kendall and rookie tackle Markel Bell, moved bodies and opened lanes for running back Will Shipley.
Shipley’s 11 carries for 56 yards did most of the lifting on the Eagles’ first touchdown drive. Dalton did convert a fourth down with a 13-yard strike to wide receiver Darius Cooper.
“That was one where kind of get all the way back to No. 4 in the progression, and for me, felt like just the timing and rhythm of it was right there,” Dalton said. “Coop was in the right spot and just gave him a chance.”
» READ MORE: Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson, whose game was ‘on life support,’ quiets doubters with another strong showing
Cooper also had a 25-yard reception in which he turned a short crossing route into a big gain. But Dalton continued to overthrow open receivers and look out of sync in executing an offense that is similar to ones he’s quarterbacked in before.
He’s now completed just 6 of 16 passes for 64 yards in two games. It’s a small sample. And maybe 179 starts and 84 wins over 15 seasons buys some patience with Sirianni.
But the 26-year-old McKee showed more upside. He was drafted and developed by the Eagles for a reason. It would be uncharacteristic to give up on him, even if organizational assertions about his future as a possible starter were hyperbolic.
There’s nothing wrong with competition. But if the Dalton experiment was just to get more in return than the seventh-round draft pick the Eagles originally surrendered in acquiring him, they’ll only have themselves to blame if the eventual backup is called upon early in the regular season and fails.
“I play when the coaches put me in,” McKee said. “Obviously, put my best foot forward, try to do all the extra things, whether that’s in the film room or on the practice field, staying late, talking with the guys, bonding, whatever that is. I let them decide all that.”
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman may end up getting equal value or more for Dalton. The Patriots don’t exactly have an attractive backup in Tommy DeVito, although he looked better than either Eagles quarterback.
It’s difficult to bring in someone new so late in the process, especially if there’s a new system to learn. The Eagles may keep all their quarterbacks, with rookie Cole Payton as the developmental fourth option — at least until they’re forced to do otherwise.
But Dalton seems to be the only potential bait.
“I think we’re focusing on the here and now,” Dalton said when asked about a trade. “All that other stuff is not what we’re worried about.”
The Eagles are running out of chances to showcase him. They could have allowed McKee to come out for the final series and drive the offense to a comeback win. But Sirianni said his quarterbacks were on a rep count and he wanted to give Payton a shot.
The rookie was sacked and fumbled the ball to end the game, however, on his third drop.
“We knew Cole made some nice plays the last game he was in this,” Sirianni said. “Has to protect the ball better in that situation.”
It’s been an interesting summer for the Eagles’ quarterback factory, with Hurts obviously at the front of the assembly line. He’s had good days. He’s had rough ones. He took his lumps in the joint practices and delivered a few, as well.
But there remains a lot of uncertainty about how he’ll adapt to Mannion’s overhaul. Answers will start to come on Sept. 13 against the Washington Commanders. Until then, the backup competition will have to suffice.
“I think that’s one thing that there is not much been said,” Dalton said when asked the final decision. “Every day is a new day, and so we’ll see how it all ends up.”
Maybe it will come down to the wire. It probably shouldn’t.
Lane Johnson rejoined training camp this past week after a multi-day absence, but his return brought with it the announcement that 2026 is “probably” going to be his last NFL season. What does the prospect of the All-Pro’s retirement mean in both the short- and long-term? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Ryan Novozinsky take a look at what the Eagles can expect from Johnson in his 14th year as a pro, and who might be waiting in the wings to replace him. Listen here.
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