February 12, 2024
Over the next few weeks, we'll be taking a position-by-position look at which players will likely be back with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, and which ones likely won't. We started the series off a few weeks ago with Nick Sirianni and the coordinators. Today we'll begin to look at the players, beginning at quarterback.
Regarding the polls below, they are your votes on what you think the Eagles should do, not necessarily what you think they will do. Please think of them more as approval polls for each player.
The perception of Jalen Hurts a couple of offseasons ago — after his first full season as a starter in 2021 — was that he was an intelligent, hard-working quarterback with leadership qualities who could make plays with his legs, but had serious flaws as a passer, most notably inaccuracy as well as a lack of refinement within the pocket.
In 2022, Hurts made drastic improvements, as he was rightfully the MVP runner-up to Patrick Mahomes, with the Eagles going 14-1 (plus 2-1 in the playoffs) in games he started. Including the playoffs, he threw 25 TDs vs. 6 INTs as a passer, and he rushed for 903 yards and 18 TDs, cementing his status as a star player and the face of the franchise. He was also arguably the best player on the field during the Super Bowl.
In 2023, Hurts took a step backwards. As you're all aware, the Eagles started out 10-1, with six of those wins coming against teams that would eventually make the playoffs. Hurts was squarely in the conversation for league MVP at the time, even though novice fans could pretty easily see that he and the team as a whole were not playing nearly as well as the 2022 team that often dominated opponents. From December on, the Eagles abruptly went from a Super Bowl favorite with at least a two-game lead over every other team in the league to one of the worst teams in the NFL.
You can blame the defense, or the offensive scheme, or the absurd in-season change at defensive coordinator, or the play calling, or any number of other things, and you'd be right to do so, but Hurts is fair game as well. His individual performances from December on were not acceptable for a player on a $255 million contract, and he was the leader of a team that suffered as staggering of a collapse as we've ever seen in the modern NFL.
In the aftermath, Hurts' leadership skills — always thought to be the biggest checkmark in his favor — came into question.
#JimmyVerdict: The Eagles' 2023 season was a tough reminder that the NFL is super hard, and it can kick your ass. Hurts and the Eagles got their asses kicked in 2023. The 2024 Eagles will be under intense scrutiny, and a lot of that will fall on Hurts. He has bounced back from adversity in the past, and it will be interesting to see how he responds to a disappointing season.
(Oh and obviously the Eagles are married to Hurts for the next few years, so, you know, stay.)
McKee balled out in the preseason games last summer as a rookie, and easily beat out incumbent QB3 Ian Book for a spot on the 53-man roster. I cut up video of all of McKee's throws in the Eagles' first preseason game against the Ravens back in August. (Disclaimer: In case you're wondering why there's no sound, the audio and video on NFL+ was not synced up, and trust me it was annoying, so I cut it.)
Anyway, Part I:
Tanner McKee pass attempts vs. Ravens, Part I pic.twitter.com/oRG5uNf17H
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski2) August 13, 2023
Aaaaaand Part II:
Tanner McKee pass attempts vs. Ravens, Part II pic.twitter.com/YVCco6GiTI
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski2) August 13, 2023
He was similarly impressive in the Eagles' final two preseason games against the Browns and Colts.
Thereafter, we didn't see McKee again. He dressed for all 18 Eagles games as the "emergency quarterback," but the team never needed him to play. We (as in, the media) also didn't get to see McKee play in competitive sessions the rest of the season because our access to the good parts of practice ends once training camp is over. As such, it's unknown how well he performed day-to-day from September to January.
#JimmyVerdict: As noted above, McKee will be back on the team in 2024. So, stay. What remains to be seen is whether the team thinks he can have an elevated role as the No. 2 quarterback in 2024, or if he'll continue to be buried on the depth chart.
Hurts started all 18 games for the Eagles in 2023, so Mariota's action was limited to a few snaps here and there whenever Hurts got a little dinged. His only extended action of the season came when he mopped up in the second half against the Giants Week 18 after the Eagles pulled their starters. He made $5 million in 2023 for 46 inconsequential snaps, and will be a free agent this offseason.
If you don't need your backup quarterback all season, they can feel like a waste of resources. If you do need them, they can become one of your most important players in an instant. The Eagles value backup quarterbacks more than most teams do, and probably for good reason seeing as a backup won their only Super Bowl. They have consistently demonstrated that they are willing to pay for quality backups.
The Eagles are highly likely to keep three quarterbacks again in 2024, which means that they are going to do something there this offseason, whether that's signing Mariota to another one-year deal, moving on from him and signing some other vet, or turning to McKee as the No. 2 and drafting a third quarterback.
#JimmyVerdict: In my opinion, Mariota did not look very good in training camp practices, and he was definitively outplayed by McKee in the preseason games. Even if the Eagles are not sold on McKee as the No. 2, they can probably find a free agent quarterback as good as Mariota who won't cost $5 million, or they can spend that kind of money on an upgrade. Go.
Green = Stay
Red = Go
Blue = Will be back in camp in 2024, but a 53-man roster spot is not a given.
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| HC | Nick Sirianni ✅ | |||
| Coordinators | Sean Desai ✅ | Matt Patricia ✅ | Brian Johnson ✅ | Michael Clay ✅ |
| QB | Jalen Hurts | Marcus Mariota | Tanner McKee | |
| RB | ||||
| WR | ||||
| TE | ||||
| OT | ||||
| OG | ||||
| C | ||||
| ED | ||||
| iDL | ||||
| OBLB | ||||
| CB | ||||
| S | ||||
| K/P/LS |
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