Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY Mon, October 26, 2026 at 12:05 PM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Philadelphia Eagles are likely going to play the remainder of the 2026 NFL season without the services of their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts .
Hurts is dealing with multiple blood clots in his lungs, which were discovered ahead of the Eagles' Week 6 matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, and the Eagles have both expressed optimism about his long-term outlook. However, the 28-year-old quarterback will need to miss an extended period of time while on blood thinners to clear up the medical ailment, meaning he is unlikely to return to the field until 2027.
More: NFL, Roger Goodell 'welcome' NFLPA inquiry into Jalen Hurts' blood clot care
That has opened the door for a new quarterback to take on the starting role in Philadelphia. Tanner McKee started in place of Hurts in Week 6 and the 26-year-old is expected to remain the Eagles' top quarterback as the 2026 season rolls on.
Here's everything to know about McKee and how Philadelphia's quarterback depth chart currently shakes out behind him.
Week 5: The mascot of the Arizona Cardinals, Big Red, performs before the game against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Week 5: New England Patriots cheerleaders perform during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 5: San Francisco 49ers fans cheer as Brock Purdy #13 leaves the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) Week 5: A Seattle Seahawks fan cheers during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) Week 5: Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson does a Lambeau Leap after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears, 31-7 . (Sarah Kloepping, Green Bay Press-Gazette) Week 5: Fans look on from the stands during the game between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The game ended in a 27-27 tie . (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) Week 5: The mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jaxson de Ville, performs before the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Jaguars won the game, 19-17 . (Nathan Ray Seebeck, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 5: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on October 8, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) Week 5: Singer and songwriter Lainey Wilson dances with members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) Week 4: The San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders take the field before a game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. (Darren Yamashita, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: Seattle Seahawks fans hold cutouts of quarterback Sam Darnold prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Lumen Field. (Joe Nicholson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: Houston Texans mascot Toro and Superfan pose for a photo prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. (Thomas Shea, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders perform before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium. (Jonathan Dyer, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: A young fan of the Baltimore Ravens looks on before the start of the game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 4: Washington Commanders mascot Major Tuddy holds a camera during the second quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. (Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Week 3: Denver Broncos cheerleaders perform during the "Sunday Night Football" game against the Los Angeles Rams at Empower Field at Mile High.
Week 3: The Maracanã Stadium gets set to host the International Series game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Week 3: Corgi dog competitions take place during halftime of the game between the Detroit Lions and New York Jets at Ford Field.
Week 3: A fan looks on during warmups prior to the game between the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Week 2: Singer Taylor Swift watches the game between the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 2: The Canadian and U.S. anthems are sung during a pregame ceremony before the "Thursday Night Football" game between Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills at new Highmark Stadium.
Week 1: Singer Taylor Swift and actor Tom Cruise attend the "Monday Night Football" game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 1: Fans arrive ahead of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers won the first NFL game played in Australia, 27-7 .
Week 1: Kim Thayil of Soundgarden and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam perform during halftime of the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Lumen Field.
1 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: The mascot of the Arizona Cardinals, Big Red, performs before the game against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 1 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: The mascot of the Arizona Cardinals, Big Red, performs before the game against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 2 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: New England Patriots cheerleaders perform during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 3 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: San Francisco 49ers fans cheer as Brock Purdy #13 leaves the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) 4 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: A Seattle Seahawks fan cheers during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field on October 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers, Getty Images) 5 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson does a Lambeau Leap after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears, 31-7 . (Sarah Kloepping, Green Bay Press-Gazette) 6 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: Fans look on from the stands during the game between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The game ended in a 27-27 tie . (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) 7 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: The mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jaxson de Ville, performs before the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Jaguars won the game, 19-17 . (Nathan Ray Seebeck, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 8 / 37 NFL Week 5 highlights, standout performances and reactions Week 5: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on October 8, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) 9 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 5: Singer and songwriter Lainey Wilson dances with members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders before the "Thursday Night Football" game between the Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. (Ron Jenkins, Getty Images) 10 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: The San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders take the field before a game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. (Darren Yamashita, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 11 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: Seattle Seahawks fans hold cutouts of quarterback Sam Darnold prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Lumen Field. (Joe Nicholson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 12 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: Houston Texans mascot Toro and Superfan pose for a photo prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. (Thomas Shea, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 13 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders perform before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium. (Jonathan Dyer, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 14 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: A young fan of the Baltimore Ravens looks on before the start of the game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 15 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 4: Washington Commanders mascot Major Tuddy holds a camera during the second quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. (Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 16 / 37 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2026 season Week 3: Denver Broncos cheerleaders perform during the "Sunday Night Football" game against the Los Angeles Rams at Empower Field at Mile High.
Week 3: The Maracanã Stadium gets set to host the International Series game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Week 3: Corgi dog competitions take place during halftime of the game between the Detroit Lions and New York Jets at Ford Field.
Week 3: A fan looks on during warmups prior to the game between the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Week 2: Singer Taylor Swift watches the game between the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 2: The Canadian and U.S. anthems are sung during a pregame ceremony before the "Thursday Night Football" game between Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills at new Highmark Stadium.
Week 1: Singer Taylor Swift and actor Tom Cruise attend the "Monday Night Football" game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 1: Fans arrive ahead of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers won the first NFL game played in Australia, 27-7 .
Week 1: Kim Thayil of Soundgarden and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam perform during halftime of the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Lumen Field.
McKee is a 26-year-old backup quarterback who is in his fourth season with the Eagles. The 6-6, 231-pound signal-caller has played sparingly across his NFL career but has routinely played well in exhibition play.
McKee has routinely generated buzz across the last two preseasons. In 2025, he enjoyed an outing where he completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns to earn the Eagles' backup job. In 2026, he completed 63% of his preseason passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, though he initially lost the team's backup quarterback job to Andy Dalton .
But now, McKee will get a chance to show what he can do as an NFL starter. The free-agent-to-be will hope to parlay a strong showing into a lucrative contract offer as either a high-end backup quarterback or a stopgap starter.
McKee played collegiately at Stanford. He spent three seasons with the Cardinal and served as the team's primary starter for two of them.
McKee posted a 6-15 record across 21 career starts at Stanford. He completed 63.2% of his passes for 5,336 yards, 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while also adding six rushing touchdowns.
During his final season at Stanford, McKee completed 62% of his passes for a career-high 2,947 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His steady performance helped put him on the radar of NFL teams and ultimately made him a selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
McKee was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Stanford product was the 13th quarterback off the board in the draft and was chosen with the 188th overall pick.
McKee is one of just six quarterbacks selected in 2023 to still be with the team that drafted him. He joins Bryce Young , C.J. Stroud , Anthony Richardson , Stetson Bennett and Aidan O'Connell in achieving that feat.
McKee has played sparingly during his NFL career to date. He enters Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season with just three starts to his name.
That said, McKee has comported himself well across that action, completing 60.2% of his passes for 812 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. He has averaged just 6.1 yards per attempt while posting a 1-2 record but will hope to show he can be a quality game manager across what should be an extended run with the Eagles.
Here's how the Eagles' quarterback depth chart looks entering Week 7.
Hurts' absence has elevated Payton, a fifth-round rookie, into the backup role behind McKee. The North Dakota State product hasn't yet played an NFL snap, but the dual-threat quarterback enjoyed a standout college career, completing 71.9% of his passes for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 777 yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Milton joined the Eagles on Oct. 16 after opening the season on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. The Tennessee product was a sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft and has routinely impressed in the preseason thanks to his cannon arm, excellent mobility and elite athleticism.
Milton has never technically started an NFL game, but he played the majority of one for the Patriots in 2024. He has completed 69.8% of his career passes for 424 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while adding 66 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Dalton, who opened the season as the Eagles' backup quarterback, he was released on Oct. 9, which allowed McKee to rise back into the team's backup role.
Dalton appeared in just one game for the Eagles when he replaced Hurts for a drive against the Chicago Bears while the starter was being evaluated for a concussion. Dalton threw an interception in the end zone on that play. It was his lone pass attempt with Philadelphia.
Dalton didn't take long to find work after his release from the Eagles. The Atlanta Falcons signed him to a contract on Oct. 19, releasing fellow veteran Cooper Rush to make room for Dalton on their roster behind Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Tanner McKee? Eagles QB starting with Jalen Hurts sidelined by blood clots
Source: Sports
0 Comments