Eagles Backup QB Sends Strong Message About Jalen Hurts Before New Season

Eagles Backup QB Sends Strong Message About Jalen Hurts Before New Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Philadelphia Eagles began the preseason slate with a 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, although the majority of the starters didn't play for the defending Super Bowl champions.

Jalen Hurts did not take any snaps, while backup quarterback Tanner McKee went 20-of-25 for 252 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

After the game, McKee spoke about his relationship with Hurts, and the Eagles backup had glowing praise for the Super Bowl MVP.

Jalen Hurts Gets Strong Compliment From Eagles Backup

After a strong outing from McKee, he spoke about how close he and Hurts are and how that relationship has helped him, per John Clark of NBC Philadelphia.

“He's great. Obviously very knowledgeable of the game. He’s been around the league for a while and just has played in a lot of games. I kind of said this in another interview, but just the relationship that we have of going back and forth and kind of things that we're seeing on the field," McKee said.

He also said their relationship has gotten better over the years and expressed that the trust has also increased.

"I feel like each year our relationship has gotten better and we just can trust each other more and kind of trust each other's eyes and kind of see what we're seeing," McKee added. "And so I think there's going to be a lot of communication when I'm coming off the field. He's coming off the field of what the other person's been seeing on the sideline to help each other out.”

In 2024, Kenny Pickett was the Eagles' QB2, but they traded him to the Cleveland Browns, which moved McKee up in the pecking order.

Tanner McKee's Eagles Career Until Now

McKee played his college football at Stanford and was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Eagles.

He has seven preseason appearances with the Eagles, throwing for a total of 999 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

However, Thursday was his first time starting a preseason game, and he didn't disappoint.

After the game, McKee spoke about how he played, per Matt Ryan of Eagles.com.

"It felt good. I felt like we were moving the ball, which is always fun," McKee said. "But overall, moved the ball well. Had a lot of guys that made great plays. So, the feeling is good."

McKee has played in just two regular-season games in his young career, both of which came in 2024. He went 30-of-45 for 323 yards and four touchdowns.

With both Dorian Thompson-Robinson and rookie Kyle McCord also battling for the QB2 spot, so far McKee seems to have the upper hand after a strong outing, not to mention the relationship with Hurts growing as time goes on.

Related: Jalen Hurts Shines in OTAs as Eagles Backup Battle Begins to Take Shape

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.