26 August 2023 , 19:27
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The Philadelphia Eagles have a tough decision to make regarding their quarterback situation.
Going into the 2023 NFL regular season there is a decent amount of anticipation for a potential championship-winning year. The Eagles won the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers in January but lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jalen Hurts has established himself as not only the starting QB in Philadelphia but also one of the best in the NFL. In April, Hurts signed a five-year contract worth £202million ($255m) with £87m ($110m) fully guaranteed.
There is very little debate about who will be the starting QB in the City of Brotherly Love in 2023. But there is doubt over who will be in the No.2 spot to serve as back-up to Hurts.
Marcus Mariota was signed by the Eagles during the off-season after he left the Atlanta Falcons. He agreed to a one-year contract worth £4m (5m), and it was expected that he would be the back-up to Hurts.
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That plan may have changed, though, over the course of pre-season. Hurts, unsurprisingly, has not played during the three warm-up games, leaving a battle between Mariota and the other QBs on the roster.
One such player who seems to have impressed is Tanner McKee, a rookie who was the No.188 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. In fact, over the course of the three games, it’s the first-year QB that has been on the field the most for the Eagles.
Both Mariota and McKee have played in all three games for the Eagles against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. McKee was the starter in each of those games, and threw a combined 39-of-72 for 453 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was certainly impressed by what he saw from McKee during pre-season.
“We drafted him because we liked him, and we liked the accuracy he showed on tape,” Sirianni told reporters on Saturday.
“We liked the decision-making he showed on tape, and he’s continued to show that throughout practice and games.
“He’s put three good games together, and so was excited to work with him. Really pleased with how he was this pre-season.”
McKee’s form has led to question marks over what the Eagles will do with Mariota this season. It’s still expected that the eight-year veteran will be the back-up to Hurts, but Sirianni certainly has a decision to make.
Mariota won the Heisman Trophy with the University of Oregon in 2014 and entered the NFL as the No.2 overall pick in the 2015 draft. After spending five years with the Tennessee Titans, the 29-year-old has not managed to find a franchise to settle for a great length of time.
The Eagles have committed $5 million (£4 million) to Mariota’s contract for the 2023 season, but McKee’s form could give the franchise something to think about going forward.
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