Tanner McKee will start Sunday in place of the injured Jalen Hurts. Here’s everything to know about the Birds’ backup QB.
McKee, 26, will get his third career start on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. "The Mormon Missile" has impressed in previous opportunities with the Birds.
Amid the Eagles’ laundry list of injuries on offense, Jalen Hurts remained the one constant for the Eagles … until Thursday.
Hurts was ruled out for Week 6 with a superficial blood clot in his calf ahead of Sunday’s home matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Now, the Eagles will do what they’ve been doing for the past few weeks at other key positions: rely on the backup.
Backup quarterback Tanner McKee, 26, will start Sunday and see his first regular-season game action since starting for the Eagles in Week 18 last season.
Here’s everything you need to know about McKee heading into Sunday’s game:
Who is Tanner McKee?
The 6-foot-6 McKee was a sixth-round pick out of Stanford by the Eagles in the 2023 NFL draft.
He grew up in Corona, Calif., where, when he was 16 years old, he had a cancer scare from a mole on his forehead that was positive for melanoma. The mole was removed without requiring chemotherapy or radiation. Since then, McKee has done community work with the Eagles that includes visits to children in hospitals and medical centers.
» READ MORE: Almost a decade after his cancer scare, Eagles QB Tanner McKee champions the importance of early detection
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, McKee has garnered the nickname the “Mormon Missile” from his Eagles teammates.
Before playing at Stanford, McKee served a 21-month faith-based mission in Brazil. He used football to spread his faith there with a semi-pro football team called the Coritiba Crocodiles.
What has he done with the Eagles?
McKee has started two games for the Eagles, one in each of the last two seasons, compiling a 1-1 record. He’s played in four additional games across the past two seasons.
After being drafted in 2023, McKee didn’t see any playing time until 2024, entering late in a 41-7 rout of the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 29, 2024, to make his NFL debut. During that game, McKee had three completions on four attempts for 54 yards and two touchdowns. A week later, McKee got his first career start against the New York Giants, pulling off a 20-13 win while tossing for 269 yards and two scores.
Last season, McKee saw more game action, playing in four games and getting his first start of the season in Week 18. McKee went 21-for-40 with 241 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 24-17 loss to the Washington Commanders. He threw for 33 yards across his other three mop-up appearances in 2025.
Why is McKee the backup (and not Andy Dalton)?
The offseason saw a lackluster battle playout for the QB2 position between Andy Dalton and McKee. While the veteran Dalton won the backup role out of training camp, he lost it quickly, following his first appearance for the Eagles against the Chicago Bears in Week 3.
Dalton entered the Sept. 28 game for Hurts, who was pulled by the spotter to be checked for a concussion, and threw an interception in the red zone to Bears safety Dillon Thieneman.
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The 38-year-old was demoted to third-string quarterback the following week and was released by the Eagles on Oct. 9. Due to Hurts’ injury, the Eagles could consider bringing Dalton back as insurance behind McKee. Rookie Cole Payton is the only other healthy quarterback on the roster.
