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Is Tanner McKee going to be the Tom Brady to Jalen Hurts’ Drew Bledsoe?!?! I don’t think that’s what Zack Baun was suggesting here as much as he’s trying to hype up his teammate. I can’t say I’m feeling encouraged about McKee after watching him struggle this offseason and fail to initially beat out Andy Dalton in the team’s eyes. But based on the positive glimpses we’ve seen in the past, I’m not ready to totally
be out on him. I’m holding out hope that he can still offer some good moments. Will be interesting to see.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Jalen Hurts’ blood clot next chapter in bizarre Eagles season — let’s get weird – PHLY Eagles
“I love Tanner,” said Zack Baun, creating a triangle. “I love that guy so much. I told someone that it’s just seeming like he’s got some sort of Tom Brady career arc to him, because he’s totally capable, he’s tall, he knows where to go with the ball, he gets it out on time and he’s got a lot of confidence in these receivers.” Unsaid is that as dire as things may look for a team with about as many players listed on the injury report as first downs they’ve earned in the second half of games this season, it’s not like the offense can get worse. Maybe there’s some magic to be found in McKee shepherding a lineup likely to feature more backups than starters. He already knows those guys! “It’s hard to say because our offense hasn’t quite gotten rolling,” said Covey. “In an ideal world, I think he fits great in this offense. Now, we still gotta find ourselves a little bit. So in that process of finding yourself, you want a guy as confident as Tanner. I think he can help with us finding it.”
Why Eagles players think Tanner McKee is ready for this moment – NBCSP
A weird Eagles season took another unexpected turn on Thursday when we learned Jalen Hurts is out for Week 6 against the Panthers with a blood clot in his calf. All of a sudden, Tanner McKee is a starter “I think everybody’s got a lot of belief in Tanner,” tight end Dallas Goedert said. “When his number has been called upon, he has stepped in and done a good job for us. Obviously, you hate to lose Jalen like that, the leader of the offense. But it’s kind of what we’ve been dealing with all year. The next man has to step up.”
Spadaro: Tanner McKee will be ready for his moment – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
The moment is here for quarterback Tanner McKee, and he intends to maximize the opportunity. In the NFL, every player understands the responsibility: When the time comes, and it will for every player, it is imperative to be ready, to be prepared, to produce. Tanner McKee, starting quarterback. This isn’t a Week 18 game, where McKee has gained the only two starts of his four-year NFL career to date. This is Week 6, at Lincoln Financial Field against the Carolina Panthers defense with so much at stake. McKee, replacing Jalen Hurts – out with a blood clot in his calf as announced by the Eagles on Thursday, has prepared every day since the day the Eagles selected him with a sixth-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft for this very scenario. “As a backup quarterback, that’s the mindset you have to have,” McKee said on Thursday at his locker in the Jefferson Health Training Complex. “At any moment, you have to be ready to play on a Sunday. It could be the first play, it could be the last play. It’s kind of a luxury for me to have the ‘1’ (starter) reps in practice and just running the meetings or whatever it is. It’s kind of a luxury for me as a backup to have a week to prepare like that.”
Jalen Hurts is “out indefinitely” … now what for the Eagles? – BGN
It’ll be interesting to see if there are any notable stylistic differences between Sean Mannion calling the game for Hurts versus McKee. But, again, I’m not expecting the results to suddenly be pretty. Though, if you’re looking for reason for optimism, the Panthers’ defense might be fairly gettable. They’re banged up at cornerback with starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson both on injured reserve.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts’ ‘superficial blood clot’: A doctor weighs in – PhillyVoice
“It’s probably going to be week by week. They’ll have to check that blood clot with another ultrasound to see if it’s moving, to see if it’s improving. If it’s not moving and it is improving, it starts to stabilize and resolve, he probably can play. But if it’s getting bigger or moving, then you start worrying about it going to the deep veins versus the superficial veins, and then eventually causing a deep vein thrombosis. Then you can have big problems with that if it gets thrown to the heart it blocks the lungs it’s called a pulmonary embolism, which can be life threatening. I’m not a vascular surgeon. That’s more of their specific field. But in terms of what I know in general is that if that clot starts to improve, whether it goes away, it gets reabsorbed or if it gets very stabilized — like it’s not moving or if it’s not getting larger — then hypothetically he can play, because he was playing on it and so they determined that he was safe to play. It’s a judgment call. But that’s what you would have to see, that the clot itself doesn’t get worse or continue to migrate.”
The Hits Keep Coming – Iggles Blitz
And for the Eagles. They need their star QB to return soon if they have any chance of turning the season around. Tanner McKee will start this week. It will be interesting to see how the offense looks with him running it. McKee struggled this summer. He’s had more time to learn the offense by now and will have a gameplan to study to get ready for Sunday. Maybe that will help him to play better. It will help that he is going against one of the worst defenses in the league (26th in points, 29th in yards).
Brian Answers: Eagles woes, Panthers offensive gameplan, Bryce Young extension, and more! – Cat Scratch Reader
I didn’t feel great about this game, but then Jalen Hurts was ruled out with a blood clot. Which, by the way, from one fan base to another, I hope he recovers in short order and has no complications. These types of things make you realize there’s more to life than the next week of football, and I hope Hurts gets all the treatment he needs and doesn’t have any negative impact on his life as a person. That said, this is definitely a game where the Panthers should have every chance to win it, in convincing fashion. And knowing their recent history as a franchise, they might drop the ball and lose this game. Cause Panthers fans can never have nice things.
Who’s Tanner McKee? The Eagles turn to the ‘Mormon Missile’ to replace Jalen Hurts – The Athletic
One might have been more skeptical of that statement two months ago, when McKee was adjusting to new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s offense. McKee has mostly played in the shotgun — he totaled 46 under-center dropbacks in his career at Stanford versus 706 shotgun snaps — and has only 14 under-center snaps in the NFL. McKee posted an EPA/dropback of -0.29 in the preseason, down sharply from 0.18 in the previous system last summer. He said he’s grown since Eagles fans last saw him play in the preseason finale — specifically in timing, anticipation, knowing where receivers are supposed to be in the offense, and thinking less with verbose play calls, heavy use of motions, and varied formations. He believes he’ll be better able to react than he did during the summer. “It’s been growing a ton, even from training camp to the first few weeks, and it’s been nice to get a couple of reps and also have conversations with Sean about what I like, about what he likes, about what we like to attack the Panthers,” McKee said. “It’s at the highest point right now.” One advantage for McKee: Teammates who’ve been in Philadelphia have confidence in him. The veterans remember how he looked in 2024. He is 54-of-88 for 597 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in his career. It’s not as if they’re starting an undrafted rookie or somebody they signed off the street this week.
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NFL Expert Picks for Week 6 – SB Nation
Then there’s Panthers vs. Eagles, and hoo buddy are the vibes bad in Philadelphia right now. Nick Sirianni’s team is struggling every single game, and now they face a Carolina team coming off their bye, getting back a lot of key players. The panel is split on this game, but it’s a critical one to keep the Eagles’ season alive.
NFL Week 6 picks: Upset and score predictions, matchup breakdowns for every game – NFL.com
Why Bobby picked the Panthers: Bouncing back from a third consecutive defeat — especially a heartbreaker like the Eagles experienced, capturing and then surrendering the lead in final 10 seconds of their loss to the Jaguars — is hard enough. The task is made more difficult by the Birds needing to travel back home from London to host the Panthers, who are well-rested coming off a bye. Oh, and quarterback Jalen Hurts is out due to a superficial blood clot. His absence is the latest blow to a Philadelphia squad that has already been dealt a ton of them: Right tackle Lane Johnson abruptly retired last week, the Eagles traded offensive lineman Cam Jurgens and running backs are dropping like flies. Saquon Barkley is the headliner as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, but Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve and Will Shipley could be sidelined multiple weeks after partially tearing his plantar fascia. That makes it tough to envision the Eagles taking full advantage of Carolina’s 31st-ranked rushing defense, and Philly’s passing offense was already struggling with Hurts to the tune of 170.6 yards per game. Add it all up and Carolina has a considerable edge despite venturing into enemy territory.
NFL Week 6 preview: Picks, predictions, schedule, betting odds, fantasy tips – ESPN
Bold prediction: Panthers edge Jaelan Phillips will record more than 1.0 sacks. Phillips will be going against rookie offensive tackle Markel Bell, who has just a 71% pass block win rate, which would rank last if he had played enough to qualify.
‘It Is F—ing Chaos’: How NFL Teams Prepare for Clock-Management Situations – SI
Eagles assistant GM Jon Ferrari, whom the team poached from the league office, handles it for Nick Sirianni. And Gardi and Streicher were hired to do a whole lot more than just manage games. Gardi’s title in Washington was senior vice president of football initiatives, before he was hired away earlier this year to be the Titans’ EVP of football operations. Streicher, meanwhile, was brought aboard in 2025 as the Pats’ VP of football operations and strategy.
Report: Andy Dalton mulling multiple offers, unsure of next destination – PFT
When the Eagles released Andy Dalton last week, they kept the possibility open for the veteran backup to return on the team’s practice squad. Now with starter Jalen Hurts dealing with a blood clot, Philadelphia could use him back. But Dalton, who remains a free agent, could be headed elsewhere. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Dalton has offers from multiple teams and he has been mulling them over for a few days. It’s still to be determined where he’ll end up.
Bryce Young lived in Havertown, and still has family in Mt. Airy. To the Panthers QB, Philly is a ‘second home’ – Inquirer
For most of Bryce Young’s life, his family had a tradition. Whenever they’d visit Philadelphia, during the summer or the holidays, they’d slowly drive past their old house on Hillcrest Avenue in Havertown. His mother, Julie, would scan the neighborhood to see if anything had changed. She’d point out his favorite childhood spots, like Paddock Park. They’d go to the court where her husband, Craig, once lifted Bryce as a toddler high up in the air, as he flung a small basketball toward a hoop. The Panthers quarterback doesn’t remember these moments, and it’s hard to blame him. He was born at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood in July of 2001, but spent only six months in Havertown before he and his parents moved to Pasadena, Calif., in early 2002. But Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs were more than just a short stop on his NFL-bound journey. Craig was born in Harrisburg, and grew up in Mount Airy (eventually relocating to Harbor City, Calif., after his parents split).
NY Giants injury report: Abdul Carter held out of practice for 2nd straight day – Big Blue View
Left tackle Andrew Thomas (groin), right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (calf), and edge defender Abdul Carter (calf) all worked on the side with trainers Thursday during the media viewing portion of New York Giants practice. All three, along with cornerback Colton Hood (concussion) and safety Tyler Nubin (neck) were officially listed as “did not practice.” For Thomas, who has been managing his injury since Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, this has been his weekly routine. He has yet to miss a snap due to the injury. If Carter is not able to play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, that would be a massive blow to a Giants’ defense already without star edge defender Brian Burns (torn ACL) for the season. Carter has 2.0 sacks, and is tied sixth in the NFL among edge defenders and linebackers with 14 quarterback pressures. Carter leads the league with 11 ‘quick’ quarterback pressures, defined as pressures achieved in less than 2.5 seconds. If Eluemunor cannot play, Marcus Mbow would start at right tackle and rookie J.C. Davis would be the swing tackle.
Cowboys injuries: CeeDee Lamb has a full practice, DeMarvion Overshown limited – Blogging The Boys
If the Dallas Cowboys can find a way to win Sunday, CeeDee Lamb will likely be a big part of it. Fortunately, he’s had a positive week of practice despite not finishing the last game. The Cowboys opponents this Sunday, the Green Bay Packers, are battling key injuries. Here is today’s Cowboys injury report.
Commanders vs. 49ers Thursday injury report: Bill Croskey-Merritt not practicing – Hogs Haven
Commanders running back Bill Croskey-Merritt had his best game of this early season on Sunday, turning in 82 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. His high per carry average was boosted by an explosive touchdown, but Croskey-Merritt came out of Sunday’s 27-27 draw with the New York Giants a bit banged up. He did not participate in Thursday’s practice with a groin injury, per the Commanders. Head coach Dan Quinn didn’t address the issue during his press conference earlier in the day, so clarity on Croskey-Merritt might not come until Saturday or even beyond. Also, Austin Ekeler is dealing with a chest injury and was seen by on-site reporters wearing a non-contact jersey. He was formally limited in practice.
Report: Detroit Lions sign veteran returner to the practice squad – Pride Of Detroit
The Detroit Lions are reportedly signing veteran returner and [former Eagles] wide receiver DeAndre Carter to their practice squad, according to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, potentially giving them another competitive option for their return game. After losing their primary punt and kick returner, Tom Kennedy, for the season due to a knee (MCL) injury that will require surgery, the Lions need a new starting returner. As our own John Whiticar pointed out in a recent article evaluating potential returner options, the Lions have several solid internal options who are expected to compete for the role—including eight players on the active roster and four on the practice squad—but none have the level of experience that Carter possesses.
49ers Promote DL Ogbo Okoronkwo, Sign LB Eugene Asante, and Make Other Moves – San Francisco 49ers
Ogbo Okoronkwo (6-2, 253) was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round (160th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. Throughout his eight-year NFL career with the Rams (2019-21), Houston Texans (2022), Cleveland Browns (2023-24), Philadelphia Eagles (2025) and 49ers (2026), he has appeared in 86 games (14 starts) and registered 129 tackles, 18.0 sacks, four passes defensed, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He has also appeared in seven postseason contests where he tallied four tackles and one pass defensed. In 2026, he appeared in five games (one start) and registered 2 tackles and 1.0 sack with San Francisco.
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