Eagles Buzz: A potential Tanner McKee trade that would instantly upgrade Philly’s defense

The Eagles don’t have a quarterback problem. They have a roster optimization opportunity.

Jalen Hurts isn’t going anywhere. Not now, not next year, not unless Howie Roseman completely loses his mind. But Tanner McKee? That’s a different conversation, and it might be one worth having.

According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, McKee is “in danger” of being traded this offseason. And when you actually look at the situation, it makes a ton of sense.

Solak on a potential McKee trade:

“The backup QB on Howie Roseman’s roster is always in danger of being dealt. McKee typically looks strong in the preseason, and he looked acceptable in two Week 18 starts while throwing to the Eagles’ backups. He is an older prospect (will be 26 next season), but he still has a developmental arc in that he has never seen extended game action. In a world where Will Howard might be starting for the Steelers or Quinn Ewers could be in for the Dolphins, McKee deserves a camp fight somewhere.“

McKee has just one year of team control left before he hits free agency after the 2026 season. He’ll be 26 next year. He’s flashed in preseason. He looked fine in those Week 18 starts throwing to backups. Around the league, people think he deserves a real camp battle somewhere.

The question is simple: does that “somewhere” need to be Philadelphia?

Probably not.

Eagles could flip a backup into real pass-rush help

Here’s where it gets interesting.

On NFL Daily, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell floated a hypothetical that honestly feels very Howie-coded. The idea? Swap Tanner McKee to the Pittsburgh Steelers for edge rusher Nick Herbig.

A clean rookie-deal-for-rookie-deal exchange. No fluff. No draft pick gymnastics.

And if you’re the Eagles, you at least make that call.

Herbig is 24 years old and coming off a 7.5-sack season in 2025. That’s real production. Not preseason hype. Not “he looks good in shorts.” Actual quarterback-hitting production in actual games.

Now zoom out.

Jaelan Phillips is heading toward free agency. Edge depth suddenly matters a lot more. And we all know how the Eagles build — trenches first, everything else later.

So you’re telling me the Eagles could take a backup quarterback who likely won’t play meaningful snaps in 2026 and turn him into a young, productive pass rusher on a cost-controlled deal?

That’s Howie Roseman’s love language.

Why the Eagles make sense in this equation

The Eagles have a clear QB1. They’re not entering a competition. McKee’s value might never be higher than it is right now — a cheap, intriguing developmental quarterback with one year left on his deal.

If you wait and he walks, you get nothing.

If you move him now and plug a potential hole at edge, you improve a roster that’s built to contend right now.

That’s the key. The Eagles are not rebuilding. They’re not developing. They’re chasing another ring.

Turning surplus into impact is how good teams stay good.

Eagles roster math > quarterback sentiment

Every offseason, there’s a move that feels small at first and ends up mattering in January.

This feels like one of those.

The Eagles don’t need Tanner McKee to win a Super Bowl in 2026. They might need another pass rusher. They might need depth when injuries inevitably hit. They might need someone who can close games in December.

Nick Herbig fits that mold a lot more than a backup QB does.

Nothing is imminent. This is still speculation. But if the Steelers pick up the phone and Howie answers, don’t be shocked if the Eagles find a way to squeeze value out of a backup quarterback.

That’s what smart organizations do.

And the Eagles, more often than not, are a smart organization.