The Philadelphia Eagles have a quarterback problem most teams would kill for. They have two viable backups behind Jalen Hurts, both of whom have real trade value, and only one of them is going to be on the roster after August 30.
The players are Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee. The competition has been ongoing all camp, and the loser is almost certainly going to end up traded.
This is one of those situations where a smart front office turns a potential problem into a legitimate asset. Philadelphia knows the QB2 market is thin around the league. They also know that other teams have been watching this camp closely, waiting to see which player Nick Sirianni trusts more.
Whichever quarterback loses the job in Philly becomes an immediate trade candidate, and the Eagles have positioned themselves to get value for either one. That is roster construction at a high level.
McKee is the more interesting long-term asset. He is a former sixth-round pick from Stanford who has developed steadily behind the scenes, and every preseason he has played has raised his stock a little more.
NFL evaluators like his size, his arm, and his processing speed. He is not going to blow anyone away athletically, but he plays quarterback the way quarterback is supposed to be played. Reading defenses, taking what is there, protecting the football.
Pickett is the veteran with the more familiar name. He was previously with the Eagles, then went on his adventure with the Steelers as a starter and eventually landed back in Philadelphia when the market cooled on him.
He knows this system. He has relationships with the coaching staff. And he has actual starting experience in the NFL, even if that experience was underwhelming.
The case for keeping Pickett is stability. The case for keeping McKee is upside. Sirianni has to weigh those two things and make a call that could shape the season if Hurts ever misses time.
Most indications suggest McKee has the inside track. He has been more consistent in camp, and the coaching staff seems to believe his ceiling is higher. That would make Pickett the odd man out, and the trade market for a veteran backup with starting experience is not deep, but it exists.
Teams like the Browns, the Titans, and the Colts have all been mentioned as possible destinations. None of them would be paying a premium, but a late Day 3 pick is not out of the question.
If it goes the other way and Pickett wins the job, McKee becomes even more valuable in a trade because his stock has been quietly rising for two years. A team that believes in him could offer a fourth-round pick without blinking.
Either way, Howie Roseman wins. The Eagles built a market around a QB2 competition and they are going to cash in on it.
The rest of the league should take notes on this kind of maneuvering. Most teams treat backup quarterback like a checkbox to fill. Philadelphia treats it like an asset class.
By the end of next week, one of these two is going to be introduced at a new facility, throwing to new receivers, wearing a new helmet. The other is going to be holding a clipboard behind Hurts and hoping he never has to play. Either way, this is how a well-run franchise operates.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
