The Philadelphia Eagles are set to play their third game of the 2026 NFL season without quarterback Jalen Hurts at their disposal on "Sunday Night Football" against the Washington Commanders in Week 8.

Hurts is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 campaign while dealing with multiple blood clots in his lungs. The ailment was discovered ahead of his team's Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers but came after the 28-year-old quarterback played through a superficial blood clot in his calf in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hurts' diagnosis has drawn the concern of the NFLPA, which requested the NFL to launch an investigation into the handling of his injury. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would "welcome" an inquiry into the situation despite the NFL initially saying the matter would not be investigated.

Meanwhile, Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, and the Eagles have both expressed optimism about the quarterback's long-term outlook, even though he is unlikely to return to the field until 2027 at the earliest.

Naturally, Hurts' absence has opened the door for a new starting quarterback to emerge for the Eagles. Tanner McKee was tapped for that role and will look to hang onto his perch atop Philadelphia's young and inexperienced quarterback room.

But who exactly is Tanner McKee? Here's what to know about Philadelphia's starting quarterback as he once again takes center stage in a prime-time game.

Who is Tanner McKee?

McKee is a 26-year-old quarterback in his fourth season with the Eagles. The 6-6, 231-pound signal-caller has intermittently served as Hurts' backup throughout his stint in Philadelphia, though he has occasionally been relegated to the third-string role by veterans.

In fact, McKee originally opened the 2026 campaign as the Eagles' third-stringer behind Hurts and Andy Dalton. The Eagles released Dalton on Oct. 9, just over a week before Hurts was placed on injured reserve, which allowed McKee to step into the backup role.

McKee had made two career starts for the Eagles entering the 2026 campaign but was better known for the success he enjoyed during preseason play. In 2025, he enjoyed an outing where he completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns to earn the Eagles' backup job. In 2026, he completed 63% of his preseason passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, which made him the subject of some trade buzz.

Ultimately, McKee remained in Philadelphia and will now get a chance to prove himself as a starting quarterback. If he performs well, the pending free agent could parlay his success into a lucrative contract offer as a high-end backup or a stopgap starter.

Where did Tanner McKee go to college?

McKee spent his entire three-year college career at Stanford. He was a primary starter for the Cardinal in two seasons, posting a 6-15 record across 21 starts and completing 63.2% of his passes for 5,336 yards, 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also added six rushing touchdowns to his ledger.

During his final season at Stanford, McKee completed 62% of his passes for a career-high 2,947 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His steady performance helped put him on the radar of NFL teams and ultimately made him a selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

When was Tanner McKee drafted?

The Eagles selected McKee in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 188th overall pick. He was the penultimate quarterback among 14 to be selected in that year's draft, being chosen ahead of only Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan.

McKee is one of just six quarterbacks from that draft class to remain with the team that drafted him. He joins Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Stetson Bennett and Aidan O'Connell in achieving that feat.

Tanner McKee NFL stats

McKee has made four NFL starts to date, including two thus far during the 2026 NFL season. Across that action, McKee has completed 61.3% of his passes for 1,023 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions while posting a 1-3 record.

McKee is a big-bodied pocket passer who has good arm strength and is at his best working the middle of the field. He is averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt during his career to date but will look to improve that as he gets more repetitions in Philadelphia's offense and builds chemistry with his top receivers.

Eagles QB depth chart

Here's how the Eagles' quarterback depth chart looks entering Week 7.

1. Tanner McKee

Payton, a fifth-round rookie from North Dakota State, is currenlty serving as the backup behind McKee. Payton hasn't yet played an NFL snap, but the dual-threat quarterback enjoyed a standout college career, completing 71.9% of his passes for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 777 yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.

Meanwhile, Milton joined the Eagles on Oct. 16 after opening the season on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. The Tennessee product was a sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft and has routinely impressed in the preseason thanks to his cannon arm, excellent mobility and elite athleticism.

Milton has never technically started an NFL game, but he played the majority of one for the Patriots in 2024. He has completed 69.8% of his career passes for 424 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while adding 66 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.