The Philadelphia Eagles have a quarterback problem that nobody seems to be talking about, and it has nothing to do with Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee, the Eagles’ backup quarterback, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and Howie Roseman needs to move him before his trade value disappears entirely.

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton recently took a shot at calculating McKee’s trade value in an article covered by Yahoo Sports, and the conclusion was rough. A 2027 sixth-round pick. That’s it. A sixth-round pick for a quarterback Philadelphia was trying to fetch a second or third-round pick not long ago. The New York Jets reportedly called about McKee, but the Eagles’ asking price was too high. Roseman wanted a second or third-round pick for McKee’s services, and New York walked away.

The realistic return in a trade for McKee

The best trade return Roseman could realistically get for McKee right now is a fourth- or maybe a fifth-round pick. A fifth-rounder is probably more realistic, and the Eagles need to pull the trigger this offseason.

That’s not because McKee can’t play. He’s a very capable backup who has proved his worth. Everybody wants to downplay him because of that game against the Washington Commanders last season, but nobody was thriving in that Kevin Patullo passing offense. McKee has talent. In six career games, he’s thrown for 597 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception with a 61% completion rate. That’s a decent sample size, even if it’s small.

But here’s the business reality. McKee is going into the last year of his rookie deal. He’s not going to want to sit here all season as a backup. He’ll do it, but his agent has almost certainly been pushing Roseman to find a trade partner. And when you look at what the Eagles have done this offseason, it tells you everything you need to know about their intentions. They drafted a quarterback in the fifth round. They traded for 15-year veteran Andy Dalton. Philadelphia wanted insurance in case they needed to move McKee, and they got it.

The argument for keeping him doesn’t hold up

Now, I get the counterargument. If Jalen Hurts goes down, McKee is the guy you’d feel most comfortable with behind center. I agree with that completely. But are you really going to hold on to a player based on the assumption that your franchise quarterback is going to suffer an injury? That’s not how you build a roster.

If Hurts goes down, you ride it out with one of your other backup quarterbacks. That’s the reality. You can’t justify keeping a guy who’s going to walk in free agency after the season when you could get a draft pick for the future. The time to get maximum value for McKee was last season. There were whispers that the New Orleans Saints might pull the trigger on a deal, and knowing Roseman, he was probably asking for a first-round pick because that’s what Howie does. He always starts high. But nothing materialized, and now McKee’s trade value has taken a hit.

Why a deal feels inevitable

The Eagles have overpriced the demand for McKee, which is exactly why he’s still on the roster after the Dalton acquisition and the Cole Payton draft pick. Philadelphia will need to drop the asking price to make a deal happen.

I still believe McKee is one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the NFL, and I’ll stand on that. He showed real precision with his passing. He’s a great thrower of the football. The early career flashes that sparked interest from other teams were legitimate. A team would love to have him as a starter or a high-end backup with upside.

If Roseman can build up McKee’s value a little over the summer and move him for a fifth-round pick, you get an asset in return for a guy who’s leaving anyway. I just don’t see a world where the Eagles keep four quarterbacks on this roster. They drafted a guy, they signed another one, and nobody is calling about Andy Dalton. Teams want McKee. So do the smart thing, get what you can, and reinvest the pick.

This feels like an inevitable move in the next few months. Roseman just needs to admit he won’t get an ideal return and maximize the value he has at this point.