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Eagles Considering Massive QB Mistake for Packers Playoff Game

The Kenny Pickett-Tanner McKee battle to back up Jalen Hurts has taken an unfortunate turn.

By Jason Schandl

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) walks off the field after win against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) walks off the field after win against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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Let's do a little blind comparison. Which quarterback are you more impressed with:

Quarterback A

Quarterback B

Completions/Attempts (%)

30/45 (66.7%)

25/42 (59.5%)

Passing Yards

323

291

Yards per Attempt

7.2

6.9

Touchdowns

4

2

Interceptions

0

1

Passer Rating

117.2

86.5

PFF Overall Grade

71.8

65.4

PFF Passing Grade

70.0

62.9

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that, unless you know which two quarterbacks I'm talking about and happen to already be a fan of Quarterback B or maybe the Pitt Panthers, you're picking Quarterback A. But the Philadelphia Eagles aren't.

Eagles Backup Quarterback Decision Ignores Recent Play

Jalen Hurts was back at practice on Wednesday, obviously reclaiming his spot as the Eagles' top quarterback when he participated in position drills as a step in his return from the concussion protocol. But what is just as noteworthy is how the backup quarterback battle played out: Kenny Pickett continued to get reps over Tanner McKee.

Both have seen a similar amount of playing time over the last couple of weeks with Hurts on the shelf, and McKee (Quarterback A above) has turned in significantly better results than Pickett (Quarterback B).

The big caveat to the stats above, of course, is that Pickett was playing banged up. So maybe, in a perfect world where everyone is healthy, Pickett outperforms McKee. The Eagles having Pickett as QB2 all seasons suggests that's probably the case.

But this isn't a perfect world where everyone is healthy. Pickett is dealing with broken ribs, so even if he's healthy enough to play, he'll be dealing with the same limitations that led to those numbers above. And a banged-up Pickett has not been a more effective quarterback than Tanner McKee.

Eagles fans will obviously hope this is all a moot point. Barring setbacks Hurts is going to start, and any situation that leads to either one of Pickett or McKee taking snaps against the Green Bay Packers would be a bad one. But no matter how bad things get, you want to see the team put itself in the best position possible to pull off an unlikely victory.

Unfortunately for Eagles fans, it looks like the coaching staff is preparing to potentially make a big mistake on that front.

Update — Thursday, Jan 9, 3:49 p.m. ET: Maybe there's more injury concern in the Eagles' QB room than anticipated. After releasing him earlier this week, the Eagles suddenly re-signed quarterback Ian Book to their practice squad on Thursday afternoon. This will be a situation to monitor closely.

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