Eagles could strike gold as Saints enter QB crisis after Derek Carr retirement

The Eagles may have just watched Tanner McKee’s trade value hit its all-time high — and all they had to do was wait.

News broke Saturday morning that Saints quarterback Derek Carr is officially retiring, leaving New Orleans with a depth chart that looks like a USFL scouting project: Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler, and Ben DiNucci. That’s not an NFL room — that’s a quarterback carousel you’d expect from a rebuilding team, not one clinging to win-now aspirations.

And that’s where the Eagles come in.

Eagles May Finally Cash in on Tanner McKee

When McKee threw two touchdowns on just four attempts last season, he didn’t just make history — he made himself money. The former sixth-round pick looked poised, accurate, and confident running an NFL offense, finishing with a perfect passer rating in relief duty. It was enough to plant a seed in the minds of quarterback-needy teams across the league.

Philadelphia, to their credit, didn’t rush to move him.

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They held onto McKee knowing his value could grow — and this right here, the Saints losing their starter in May, is the exact moment they were waiting for. Derek Carr walking away from football didn’t just shake up the NFC South — it opened a door for Howie Roseman to make another quarterback-flipping masterclass.

Let’s be honest, nobody milks desperation quite like the Eagles front office.

A Trade Blueprint the Eagles Have Perfected

We’ve seen this script before. When the Vikings lost Teddy Bridgewater in 2016, Roseman turned Sam Bradford into a first and fourth-rounder. When the Colts gambled on Carson Wentz in 2021, Roseman turned their mistake into a pick haul that led to foundational pieces like DeVonta Smith and Jalen Carter.

Now, Tanner McKee may be next in line.

He’s everything a team like the Saints needs: experienced enough to step in, affordable on a rookie contract, and still young enough to mold into a long-term solution. Kellen Moore already knows McKee’s strengths from their time in Philly — and given the Saints’ tight cap situation, McKee’s $1 million price tag is a dream compared to chasing a free agent or absorbing a bloated contract.

Don’t Be Surprised When the Eagles Flip the Script Again

Whether it’s a Day 2 pick, a future starter, or even a player-for-player deal that upgrades another position, the opportunity is there for Philly to pounce. And given Howie’s track record, nobody should be surprised if this turns into another moment where the Eagles take a sixth-round flier and turn it into premium draft capital.

This is what they do. Quarterback factory. Strategic timing. Ruthless execution.

And right now, business is booming in Philadelphia.