The Philadelphia Eagles are without Jalen Hurts for at least one game, and possibly more, as their starting quarterback gets treated for a “small blood clot.” NFL insider Ian Rapoport dropped the bomb that Hurts is “out indefinitely,” and man, you just hate to hear it. Everyone’s rooting for his health, but in the meantime, the Eagles have to figure out how to navigate the rest of the 2026 season without their guy. It’s a huge problem.
Tanner McKee Steps Up, But His History Is Rough
So, with Hurts sidelined, Tanner McKee is set to start against the Carolina Panthers. This isn’t exactly a confident stride into the future, given his turbulent offseason. It all kicked off with a less than inspiring Week 18 showing last season. The Eagles were resting starters ahead of the playoffs, and there was this fleeting hope that McKee, who had shown flashes in limited preseason and regular season action, could beat the Washington Commanders in that regular season finale. Nope. He didn’t play well at all, logging a 68.9 passer rating. To be fair, he did look better early on with DeVonta Smith in the game, helping Smith clear 1,000 receiving yards last season. But once Smith left, it got a lot worse. And let’s not forget, he was up against a bad and injured Washington team that still had actual NFL starters playing, unlike the Eagles, who mostly didn’t. This less than stellar performance clearly rattled the Eagles’ confidence.
The Andy Dalton Conundrum And A Terrible Decision
That shaky confidence in McKee led to the Eagles trading for Andy Dalton. Initially, the word was Dalton was just brought in as the third quarterback; the team even quietly told reporters as much. But then OTAs started, and guess who was taking the bulk of the second-team QB reps? Dalton. The Eagles insisted they were rotating QB2 reps between Dalton and McKee, which played out through training camp and the preseason. The biggest problem? By the time the regular season hit, there was no clear winner. Both guys struggled, maybe because that constant rep rotation never let them get into a rhythm. Heading into Week 1, the Eagles were still splitting those QB2 reps. But then, it became official: Dalton was Hurts’ backup, and McKee was designated as the emergency third quarterback. Dalton was actually thrown into action during the Eagles’ Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears. The Eagles made a baffling call, asking him to throw the ball in a goal-to-go situation, and his sole pass in the game was picked off by a rookie safety. According to Jeff McLane on his “unCovering the Birds” podcast, Makai Lemon ran the wrong route on that play, but it was still a terrible decision by a veteran quarterback who’s turning 39 in late October.
So, here we are. McKee gets the nod against the Panthers, and the Eagles have to dig deep to figure out how to keep their season from spiraling while Hurts recovers. It’s a huge test for a team that suddenly looks a lot less stable under center.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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