4 Key Eagles Who Will Be Free Agents After 2023 Season

Marcus Mariota

How much Marcus Mariota’s expiring contract will mean to the Eagles is going to have a lot to do with Tanner McKee.

Spending a fifth-round pick on McKee was a good sign that the Eagles had high hopes for McKee as a long-term backup, and a strong preseason performance was definitely a step in the right direction on that front.

But when you’re a Super Bowl contender, you need more than a long-term project as your backup. If Hurts gets banged up and misses a few games the Eagles need someone to be able to step in and keep the ship afloat. They don’t need perfect play from a backup, but they do need enough to avoid tanking their seeding for a potential first-round bye or home field advantage in the postseason.

And that’s why Mariota is here on a one-year deal.

He disappointed in the preseason, but there’s no question about his fit as a backup in this offense. One of the best rushing quarterbacks in the NFL, Mariota can slot right in without changing too much about Brian Johnson’s playcalling or gameplans.

But it’s a one-year deal for a reason. Once McKee has a full year of NFL experience under his belt, the hope is that he’ll be the long-term answer as Hurts’ backup. If everything goes perfectly that would mean Mariota’s time in Philly was limited to one season, and that he only ever needed to set foot on the field to run out the clock in blowout victories.

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