Does Tanner McKee have a shot at the Eagles’ No. 2 QB job after outplaying Kenny Pickett in a preseason win?

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – If the Eagles’ backup quarterback competition was based solely on how Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee performed in Thursday night’s preseason game against the New England Patriots, a strong argument could be made for the latter’s supplanting the former.

McKee was aggressive. He threw with anticipation. He looked comfortable in the pocket. And he led the Eagles to a comeback 14-13 win over New England at soggy Gillette Stadium.

But Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has to consider more than just how the two fared in one game.

“You saw where they went in today,” Sirianni said when asked if there is a competition. “Kenny’s our No. 2. Tanner’s our No. 3. I’m really happy that both of those guys are on the roster.”

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Even within the parameters of the second preseason game, Sirianni has to put their performances in the proper context. Pickett and the second-unit offense faced some of the Patriots’ defensive starters for the first few series. And when most of the offensive line was subbed out in the second quarter, the quarterback’s protection broke down and he was sacked three times.

But, overall, Pickett failed to impress for the second straight week. He completed 11 of 13 passes, but for only 67 yards. His average per attempt (5.2 yards) was slightly better than it was last week at the Ravens (4.0), but Pickett completed zero passes that traveled more than 10 air yards.

He had an opportunity to hit John Ross on his first drop, but Pickett overthrew his open receiver.

“We had some shots called. They were covered up,” Pickett said. “I ended up checking it down and I got good gains there. … Those big plays will come sooner or later, just got to continue to throw them at practice.

“I thought when we practiced on Tuesday we hit a couple down the field.”

Pickett did complete a few downfield passes during the joint workout with the Patriots two days earlier. But it has mostly been a struggle for him throughout training camp, partly because the Eagles are lacking in receivers — beyond starters A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith — who can get separation.

McKee looked just as ineffective in Baltimore and his average per attempt (2.4 yards) was worse than Pickett’s. But he wasn’t trigger-shy a week later and threw in rhythm on routes that were into the second level.

He completed 15 of 19 passes for 140 yards (7.4 avg.) and had hookups to Joseph Ngata (five catches for 88 yards) that were anticipation throws — the most impressive coming on the receiver’s 28-yard seam route.

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He even took a series off — so that fourth-stringer Will Grier could get a series under center — and returned to drive the Eagles to the game-winning touchdown that he capped with a two-point conversion to receiver Ainias Smith.

“Tanner made some really nice throws down the field today,” Sirianni said.

McKee often had a cleaner pocket, but there were drops when he had to navigate through bodies. Pickett had little chance on a few of the sacks he took. But he seemingly felt the pressure as the half went on and his eyes dipped.

A lack of pocket awareness was a problem for Pickett in his two seasons with the Steelers. It hasn’t gone away. Neither has a penchant for holding the ball too long. Pickett hasn’t thrown many interceptions in camp, but the ball hasn’t come out fast enough and he has taken far too many sacks.

“A bunch of different groups were in there continuing to work the operation,” Pickett said when asked about his performance vs. the Patriots. “I don’t think we were as clean as we would like to be. I think we were probably better and smoother at that point in the first game.”

Too much can be made of the preseason, though. Pickett started 24 games over two seasons in Pittsburgh and won 14 games. McKee, who was drafted in the sixth round in 2023, was the Eagles’ third quarterback last season, but he never saw the field.

McKee flashed some during his first preseason a year ago, to the point that some thought he should have been Jalen Hurts’ backup rather than the veteran Marcus Mariota. But the Eagles weren’t ready to hand him the No. 2 job — then and during this offseason — and traded for Pickett in March.

“They told me that they were going to bring in another quarterback and we were going to compete,” McKee said. “That was the message that I got. Kenny’s been a great teammate and we’re going to continue to compete for probably the whole year.”

In the spring and early in camp, Pickett took all the snaps with the second unit. But McKee started cutting into Pickett’s time about a week in and it has pretty much been that way since. He’s had his struggles, as well, but says he’s ready to be Hurts’ backup.

“That’s not my decision. I wish it was,” McKee said. “I’m just ready to go out and play whenever they call my name.”

Whether McKee has earned the job or not, the Eagles are likely to give Pickett the benefit of the doubt. General manager Howie Roseman didn’t send a 2024 third-round pick and two 2025 seventh-rounders to the Steelers for Pickett and a 2024 fourth-rounder to make him a third-stringer.

If by chance the Eagles decided McKee was better, they could try to move Pickett. But Roseman would have to at least get back equal value. And it’s not as if Pickett is putting up the kind of film that will entice offers.

He doesn’t seem to view McKee’s playing time with the twos as a threat.

“They’re continuing to mix the groups up and just letting guys play with different groups,” Pickett said when asked about the competition. “I’m just taking it a day at a time and continue to put good tape out there.”

It’s the only significant positional competition in which the winner might not play a snap in the regular season. Mariota went in for just a handful of plays when Hurts briefly left the San Francisco 49ers game last season. But the odds are Hurts will miss more time this year. That’s why the Eagles can’t fool around with his backup.

The best man should win.