Eagles’ backup QB situation emerges as a significant storyline with Week 1 looming

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Tanner McKee bypassed the postgame barbecue buffet outside the visitor’s locker room at MetLife Stadium with his right hand in the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.

It’s where the backup quarterback’s throwing hand stayed most of the night during the Eagles’ 19-17 victory in their preseason finale Friday night over the New York Jets.

McKee suffered an injury to a finger on his right hand in practice Monday and did not practice the following two days. The injury did not require surgery, but with the season opener now just 12 days away, McKee’s status and the Eagles’ contingency plan, should Jalen Hurts need relief, has emerged as a rather significant subplot as training camp ends and roster cutdown looms.

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Eagles coach Nick Sirianni would not say whether McKee would be ready for the team’s Sept. 4 season opener vs. the Dallas Cowboys.

“We’ll see,” Sirianni said. “He’s working to get back, and we’ll see where he is.”

The Eagles gave the entire game Friday night to rookie sixth-round pick Kyle McCord, and his 15-for-35 throwing performance, with a bad interception, underscored the looming depth issue if McKee indeed is unable to dress for Week 1.

McCord received limited reps during practices throughout training camp. He threw five passes during the preseason opener, a game in which McKee shined, and then had 16 attempts last week while awkwardly swapping in and out of the game with Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Sirianni said the Eagles thought McCord needed more reps Friday to continue their evaluation process. McCord had an up-and-down showing. At times, he looked comfortable in the pocket and made some impressive throws. Other times, it seemed as if he missed opportunities.

He threw for 136 yards and was sacked twice behind a backup offensive line. On his interception, a deep ball into double coverage intended for Darius Cooper, McCord went for broke instead of finding the safer throw underneath to John Metchie.

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“Too aggressive of a decision,” McCord said. “You want to play the game and try to push the ball down the field and make plays, but I probably should have came off that one and dropped my eyes to Metchie.

“It was all right. Some good, some bad. Obviously, I wish I had a few reads back, a few throws back. But at the same time, I feel like there were some good plays, some things that I did. Obviously, it felt like we left some points on the field as an offense, but at the end of the day, we made enough plays to win.”

Sirianni said postgame that he felt comfortable with the quarterback situation, but it’s possible the Eagles will look to make an upgrade if they’re not expecting McKee to be ready for Week 1. Initial 53-man rosters need to be finalized by 4 p.m. Tuesday.

McCord, of course, has not been named the No. 3 quarterback and may not be the automatic next-in-line should McKee miss action. Though if the Eagles were seriously considering Thompson-Robinson as part of their future, it would be a curious decision to not give him snaps Friday night, despite Sirianni saying there was a lot of tape out there on the third-year player.

McKee went 20-for-25 and threw for 252 yards and two scores in the preseason opener vs. a Cincinnati team that played a few drives with its regulars. His development over the last two seasons had the Eagles comfortable with elevating him to Hurts’ primary backup this offseason. McCord, a sixth-round pick like McKee, said McKee has been a valuable sounding board for him during his first NFL training camp.

“He’s been great because he’s been in my position the last two years,” McCord said.

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Asked if he’s ready to be in McKee’s slot, as the de facto No. 2 in Week 1, McCord said that decision “isn’t up to me.”

“I’m my biggest critic, so I know I can get a lot better,” he said. “But at the same time, I feel like I definitely have put some good things on film. I’ve done some good things. So whenever that opportunity comes, be ready for it. That’s kind of my mindset, not worrying about the things I can’t control.”