While there are a good chunk of NFL teams on thin ice at the quarterback position, the Pittsburgh Steelers might have the inside track on having the most precarious situation of all.
In Pittsburgh, where they’ve made the playoffs 4 of the last 5 seasons, head coach Mike Tomlin has put all of his eggs in the Aaron Rodgers basket in the hopes the 41-year-old, 4-time NFL MVP has one last good-to-great season left in him.
If Rodgers goes down, there’s not much faith in the quarterbacks waiting in the wings with Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and rookie Will Howard, who seemed like he was in line to be QB2 but fractured his hand during training camp
For a team like the Steelers, with an elite defense and elite skill position players, having the most important position on the field simultaneously be the weakest position group on the field isn’t ideal.
The thing is â it doesn’t have to stay like that.
Trade Pitch Sends Eagles Backup QB to Steelers
Heavy’s Max Dible put forth a trade proposal that sends the Steelers immediate quarterback help, with up-and-coming Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee shipped to Pittsburgh in exchange for a third round pick.
“Mina Kimes and Ben Solak raved about McKee … saying he can run just about any offense in the NFL and is good enough to be an NFL starter right now,” Dible said. “His experience is minimal, but he was excellent in two games played and one start last season and Kimes said he looked like a veteran in preseason Game 1 against the Bengals earlier this month. Philly values the position and McKee has starting chops, so a Day-2 pick is what Solak said was the floor of what the Eagles should except from any team. The Steelers know Aaron Rodgers is leaving after this season and Will Howard is their only chance at a longterm answer currently on the roster. If a third-round pick gets it done, then it should get done.”
For the Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman, it’s easy to assume getting a third round pick back in exchange for McKee, a 2023 sixth round pick, would be too good of an offer to pass up.
McKee’s Trade Value Continues To Rise
The Eagles have figured out a way to evaluate quarterbacks that probably needs to be studied. They are coming off a season in which starter Jalen Hurts ascended, capping the year off with Hurts being named Super Bowl MVP in a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
After Hurts suffered a concussion in a Week 16 loss to the Washington Commanders, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett started in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys but was knocked out of the game when he injured his ribs.
McKee, 6-foot-6 and 231 pounds, stepped in and threw 2 touchdown passes in the second half to beat the Cowboy. The next week, he started the regular season finale against the New York Giants and led the Eagles to a 20-13 victory.
In essentially 5 quarters of action last year, McKee went 30-of-45 passing for 323 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions â numbers that make him an appealing (and cheap) trade option for QB needy teams.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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