Jalen Hurts is out with a blood clot, meaning Tanner McKee is officially stepping up to start at quarterback for the 2-3 Philadelphia Eagles tomorrow against the Panthers. This isn’t just a simple backup situation, though. The Eagles are reeling, coming off a game in London just six days ago, and they’re facing a Carolina squad that should be totally fresh after their early bye week. With the Eagles also dealing with a laundry list of injuries across quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and edge positions, it really does feel like only one team is going to walk into this game ready to rumble.
The QB Rollercoaster Is Officially Off The Rails
The story of how Tanner McKee ended up back at QB1 is something else. It’s been a wild, weird ride for him since Week 18 of last season. Before that finale, everyone was buzzing about McKee. He even shined so much in preseason last year that the Eagles actually *rested* him after their first game. Then came Week 18. With starters taking a break, McKee got the nod, and there was real hope he could beat the Commanders. He looked good, too, until DeVonta Smith went down. After that? Not so much. That performance seemingly shook the team’s confidence so hard that they went out and traded for Andy Dalton from the Panthers. What a deal that was, Dan Morgan!
Initially, the thought was Dalton was just coming in as QB3. But then OTAs rolled around, and suddenly, it was a legitimate QB2 battle. Neither McKee nor Dalton could really claim the spot, so it dragged on right up to Week 1. Dalton got the backup job for three weeks, only to throw one single pass for the team, which was picked off in the end zone during a Week 3 loss. After that? Dalton was demoted to QB3 and then, believe it or not, they just cut him. And that, my friends, is how McKee ended up back at No. 2. It’s impossible to predict how long Hurts will be out with that blood clot, or if he’ll even return this season. McKee’s the guy until then. And honestly, for Panthers fans wondering what to expect from him, the expert I spoke with said it best: “He looked the worst I’ve ever seen him.” Yikes.
Injuries, The NFC East, And What It All Means
So, not only is the Eagles’ quarterback situation a total mess, but the whole team is banged up. Quarterback, running back, wide receiver, edge , you name it, they’ve got an injury there. Coming back from London on short rest, while the Panthers are all rested up from their bye, feels like a recipe for disaster. The good news for Eagles fans, if there is any, is that the NFC East is looking absolutely terrible right now. Like, really, really bad. That might actually keep the 2-3 Eagles in the playoff picture longer than anyone expects, even with all these issues.
Tomorrow’s game is huge for the Eagles. Can McKee somehow find that preseason magic and prove everyone wrong? Or will the Panthers run all over this exhausted, injured squad? If things go south, don’t be shocked if you start hearing more about intriguing rookie Cole Payton potentially getting a shot down the line. It’s a must-watch to see if this team can pull itself together or if this season is about to go off the rails for good.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Cat Scratch Reader.
Leave a Reply