The Philadelphia Eagles' defense of their Super Bowl championship did not go as planned during the 2025 campaign. While the NFC East title still ran through the City of Brotherly Love, issues on both sides of the ball led to Nick Sirianni's bunch bowing out of the postseason in their first game, a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.
With this team falling short of expectations, personnel moves will be made as new faces will undoubtedly join Philadelphia's roster this offseason as Howie Roseman looks to fill the cracks on both sides of the ball.
Not only will that lead to tough decisions regarding players set to enter free agency in March, but it also sets the stage for the members of the roster only under contract through the 2027 campaign. One player entering a contract year, Tanner McKee, could ultimately be playing for his job sooner rather than later if one trend remains true in the coming months.
Tanner McKee Will Have to Fight for His Role in Philly This Offseason
Jalen Hurts is the unquestioned QB1 in Philadelphia; there is no denying that fact. What the future holds for McKee, however, is anything but certain, as the former Stanford Cardinal standout is set to enter a contract year. While the Eagles clearly feel good enough about McKee to have him as the only other QB on the roster at this time, the likelihood that remains the case, though, in the coming weeks is slim.
As Zach Berman of The Athletic pointed out on Friday, Howie Roseman has selected a quarterback in more than half of the 15 drafts he has presided over in Philadelphia. Whether it comes in the form of a rookie or a veteran free agent, McKee should be ready to put his best foot forward the moment he steps on the field for organized team activities this spring, as it could be what continues his tenure with the Eagles or sets him up for success elsewhere.
This leaves McKee in a precarious position. Clearly, no Eagles fan has backup QB on their mind right now, but it should be something on the radar of Roseman and the front office. Since a new deal for McKee seems out of the question right now, his performance throughout the offseason, training camp, and the preseason will likely determine where he'll play and for whom in 2027.
One way or another, McKee will face pressure for the QB2 job between now and Week 1. If the 26-year-old signal caller is up to the task, he should have no problems holding off whatever competition may be lined up for him, which will either solidify his spot in the City of Brotherly Love or make him appealing enough of a trade candidate where a team with more of a need at QB looks to swing a deal with the Eagles for him.
However, if McKee were to falter in any way, his cap hit of just over $1.19 million for 2026 will be easy for the Eagles to stomach should they release him and go with another option behind Hurts.