The Philadelphia Eagles came out of left field this week to acquire veteran quarterback Andy Dalton from the Carolina Panthers. With that move, there’s been chatter about the shadowy future of Tanner McKee, Philly’s recent backup who has played well in preseason action.

McKee has plenty of support around the fan base, but what are some potential offers and interested teams if the Eagles picked up their phones in regards to trading him? Myself and a handful of others discussed that scenario.

5 hypothetical trade offers for Tanner McKee after Eagles trade for Andy Dalton

Browns acquire another young QB to join competition

Offer:
Browns receive: QB Tanner McKee
Eagles receive: 2026 5th-round pick (No. 147 overall via Bengals) 

“The Browns are going to be connected to most outside quarterback options until they add to their current room. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are expected to compete for the job with Dillon Gabriel on the roster as well. Cleveland is expected to add another quarterback via trade, the draft, or as a free agent.  

In what is a weak quarterback class, the Browns could be better served sending a Day 3 pick for a quarterback who is already settled into the NFL. McKee has just two NFL starts and looked legit when he completed 66 percent of his passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns to close out the regular season against the New York Giants in 2024. McKee is a smart quarterback who has been in a strong system for several years now. 

McKee has limited success on tape and is set to turn 26. The Browns adding him to their quarterback battle would make for stiffer competition and should bring out the best quarterback in the end. Todd Monken has a track record of success with quarterbacks and McKee could be a dark horse move to be the next one he works with.” — Brandon Little

Arizona’s quarterback room gets a bit more fun after veteran influx

Offer:
Cardinals receive: QB Tanner McKee
Eagles receive: 2026 6th-round pick (no. 183)

“The Arizona Cardinals’ current quarterback room of Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew doesn’t offer much excitement for fans to watch in 2026. At this point in their respective careers, we pretty much know what both are, and that is a player better off being a backup.

Arizona isn’t going to be in a position to compete for anything significant this year anyway, so why not make a low-risk move to add a young quarterback that’d had some decent flashes early in his career, like McKee. The Eagoes just traded a seventh in 2027 to land Andy Dalfon. So moving off McKee for a sixth in 2026 will feel like a solid draft upgrade by swapping out their quarterbacks.”
— Destin Adams

Rams find great Matthew Stafford backup with risk-averse swing

Offer:
Rams receive: QB Tanner McKee
Eagles receive: 2026 6th-round pick, 2027 conditional 6th that could improve into a 5th-round pick if McKee plays 40% of snaps next season

“The Rams have curiously stood pat on adding a backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford despite Stafford’s age and relative durability concerns. The Rams aren’t in any hurry to replace Matthew Stafford, but the team doesn’t have a viable option behind him right now if he does go down at some point this season.

McKee hasn’t played much, but he offers at least a solid, cheap dart throw that gives the Rams some security for Stafford and another arm in the room that they could trust and there are some encouraging reps on film that prove he might be worth the investment. The Rams don’t have a lot of draft capital to part with, which limits what they can offer compared to other teams (and will likely keep them out of many of these sweepstakes), but late Day 3 picks have been the going rate for these types of moves lately, which might work in their favor.” — AJ Schulte

Jets give Geno Smith an intriguing competitor to bridge the gap for 2026

Offer:
Jets receive: 2026 5th-round pick, Tanner McKee, 2026 3rd-round pick (#98)
Eagles receive” 2026 2nd-round pick (#44), 2027 5th-round pick

“The Jets have already made two quarterback trades this offseason, acquiring Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders and sending Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though Geno will be the starter in 2026, it makes sense for New York to throw a dart for a long-term project. But because McKee is entering the final year of his rookie deal, the trade compensation can’t be absurd — especially because McKee has played well, but nothing great throughout his 96 regular season dropbacks in the NFL.

McKee took care of the ball with a 2.1% turnover-worthy play, but had an almost insignificant 1.1% big-time throw rate, via PFF. It’s a viable option to potentially become the starter once Geno Smith’s contract expires next offseason, but the price has to justify the investment.” — Wendell Ferreira

Steelers add Aaron Rodgers insurance while they wait for his decision

Offer:
Steelers receive: QB Tanner McKee
Eagles receive: 2026 5th-round pick

“While I was vehemently opposed to the Steelers trading away Nick Herbig for Tanner McKee when that was making the rounds at the worldwide leader, I am not opposed to bringing in Tanner McKee if Aaron Rodgers does not return. McKee gets a lot of hype from people in and around the league despite his lack of true starting experience. Taking him to Latrobe and letting him battle it out with Will Howard would be fine by me. 

Let’s be honest. We have been there and done that with Mason Rudolph. Even with all the veterans on the roster and the win-now moves the Steelers made in free agency, I would much rather see what a young, unproven signal caller like McKee or Howard has than just trying to tread water.” — Rob Gregson

Choosing the best offer for a McKee trade

This was a fairly easy choice to me. The Jets offer is a dynamite one for Philly, and it is the sort of move that would happen in reality and leave some people shocked by how Howie Roseman pulls off an impressive deal like that.

The Birds would be able to jump 54 spots on day two during this year’s draft. No other offer on the table in this scenario rivals that sort of value for a backup QB who would most likely be the third option in 2026.

That being said, the other offered compensation in this exercise may mimic what the Eagles would actually receive if they do choose to trade McKee away in the coming weeks.