Tanner McKee Set to Start at Quarterback for Eagles Amid Jalen Hurts' Blood Clot Diagnosis

The Philadelphia Eagles are likely to turn to backup quarterback Tanner McKee to lead the offense following a diagnosis of a blood clot in starting quarterback Jalen Hurts' calf. The severity and expected duration of Hurts' absence remain unclear, but he is expected to be sidelined for at least one game. Mckee, a 26-year-old who was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, has served as Hurts' primary backup throughout the current season. While the team also has rookie Cole Payton on the roster, McKee's prior NFL experience makes him the probable choice to step in.

Mckee has appeared in six NFL games over the past two seasons, starting the final game of each season. In these appearances, he has thrown for 597 yards and five touchdowns with one interception, completing 61.4 percent of his passes.

Before joining the Eagles, McKee played college football at Stanford. He started for two seasons with the Cardinal, accumulating 5,336 passing yards and 28 touchdowns across his three-year career. McKee took a break from football to serve a two-year mission in Brazil for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before returning to college. He has previously credited his mission's rigorous training regimen with preparing him for the demands of college football.