Eagles

Tanner McKee Could Realistically Start for These 13 NFL Teams

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Aug 8th, 2025 · 9:43 AM EDT

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The Eagles’ quarterback factory is humming once again after Tanner McKee’s excellent preseason performance on Thursday night. The 6th round draft pick carved up the Bengals to the tune of 20-25 passing, 252 yards and two touchdowns. He threw no picks while taking two sacks and logging a 135.3 QB rating.

Dick Vitale would have called McKee’s performance “awesome, baby!”, but Eagles fans know that McKee can sling it. He’s seen limited action since coming to the Birds, but he looks great whenever he does get the call, notably chopping up the Giants in the 2024 season finale while going 27 for 41 for 269 yards and two touchdowns. The G Men were dead in the water at that point, but playing their starters, and McKee got the W without the services of Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and the starting offensive line.

Naturally, people are wondering about McKee’s value. Could he return a 1st or 2nd round pick in a trade? How many teams need a starting QB anyway?

We will oblige, and go down the full list.

For the exercise, we’ll look at it this way: it’s not whether or not McKee is better than the projected starter. It’s if he could realistically start for the team, so we’ll say that if he’s at least equal in talent to the QB1, then it goes down as a “yes” for purposes of the task.

To the list:

• Cowboys: Assuming Dak is healthy, he’s still hovering right around the top 10 or top 12 of NFL QBs, so we’ll say no. Dak gets the nod.
• Commanders: McKee isn’t starting over Jayden Daniels.
• Giants: What does Russell Wilson have left in the tank? McKee is probably right there alongside him at this point.
• Bears: Think you gotta go with Caleb Williams here until we see a little more.
• Lions: Jared Goff has been good in Detroit. Hard to see McKee getting the nod over him, even though I personally think he’d do a great job in that offense.
• Packers: Think you’re still giving the nod to Jordan Love here, even though his 2024 was not as good as his 2023.
• Vikings: J.J. McCarthy? Would take Tanner McKee for sure.
• Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. is still a relatively unknown quantity. This is at least a wash.
• Bucs: Baker Mayfield is somewhat underrated. He’s a tier two NFL QB at least. Mayfield it is.
• Panthers: Would take McKee over Bryce Young any day of the week.
• Saints: McKee. They don’t have anybody down there. Spencer Rattler? Tyler Shough? Kellen Moore should make the Birds an offer.
• 49ers: How many people out there think Brock Purdy is truly better than Tanner McKee? Needs to be a poll question. Wash!
• Seahawks: If it’s 2024 Sam Darnold, he wins the competition. If it’s any other year of Sam Darnold, McKee is the guy.
• Rams: Matt Stafford, even though he’s regressing.
• Cardinals: Ehhh, I think you go Kyler Murray.
• Patriots: At least a wash here, need to see Drake Maye in year 2.
• Jets: Tanner McKee for sure.
• Dolphins: A healthy Tua over McKee, but “healthy Tua” is a big asterisk at this point.
• Bills: Josh Allen
• Bengals: Joe Burrow
• Ravens: Lamar Jackson
• Steelers: Tanner McKee is probably taking that team further than a washed Aaron Rodgers, unless the latter has some incredible, turn-back-the-clock type of season.
• Browns: Tanner McKee over all of them.
• Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes
• Chargers: Justin Herbert is overrated, but still taking him.
• Raiders: Love my guy Geno Smith, but feel like McKee can do a lot of what he does.
• Broncos: Bo Nix was really good in 2024. Think he gets the edge here.
• Texans: C.J. Stroud was the victim of the hype machine, but the 2023 version is better than McKee.
• Colts: Would take McKee over both Anthony Richardson and Danny Dimes.
• Jag-wires: Trevor Lawrence falls into the same Tua category. Healthy and in a good situation, he’s better than McKee, but McKee would do well in Duuuuuuuuuuuval.
• Titans: Cam Ward a total TBD, so we’ll call it at least a wash.

Going through the list, we’ve determined that Tanner McKee could realistically start for 13 NFL teams – the Giants, Vikings, Falcons, Panthers, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Jets, Steelers, Browns, Raiders, Colts, and Titans. What say you? Agree or disagree?