Tanner McKee gets very honest about Philadelphia Eagles' Kenny Pickett trade

When the Philadelphia Eagles traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns back in March, it was hard for Tanner McKee to control his excitement.

It had nothing to do with Pickett, but naturally meant McKee would be more than just an emergency backup to starter Jalen Hurts.

"I was very excited with what happened," McKee admitted. "I love Philadelphia. I love being here. I want to be here as long as I can. So it was obviously very exciting when Howie called me and told me the news. And obviously, just know they have a lot of trust in me to perform. And obviously if something does happen to (Jalen Hurts), I can move the ball and the offense in how it's supposed to be run. So that was great having that confidence from the top down."

McKee turned heads during the final stretch of the 2024 season for the Eagles, throwing for 323 yards, four touchdowns, with no picks and an impressive 66.7% completion rate. Most notably, in his first NFL career start in Week 18, McKee led the Birds to a 20-13 win over the New York Giants, helping them clinch the division.

McKee, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, spent his rookie year as Philly's No. 3 QB behind Marcus Mariota. He was also No. 3 behind Pickett last year. But after proving himself, he earned a promotion. That leaves Dorian Thompson-Robinson and rookie Kyle McCord competing for the emergency quarterback job.

Depending on how well Season 3 goes for McKee, he could ultimately find himself looking for another team and competing for the QB1 spot. For now, though, he's just thinking about the present.

“It comes down to controlling what I can control and being able to take advantage when opportunities arise,” McKee said. "Right now, I'm focused on this season, I'm focused on what's ahead of me right now. Being the two and being prepared to go in and play like a starter if anything happens to Jay.  That's my role right now, that's what I'm focused on. And then if anything happens in the future, I'll take advantage of those opportunities.”