Who Should I Start? Tanner McKee or Tyson Bagent

Wednesday, May 21, 2:46 PM

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee is likely to be the direct backup to Jalen Hurts in 2025 despite the team drafting Kyle McCord (Syracuse) in the sixth round of last month's NFL Draft. The team's decision to trade Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns signals confidence in McKee, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Stanford. McKee appeared in two games (one start) last year, completing 30 of his 45 passing attempts for 323 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. While he's not on the fantasy football radar as a backup, it's worth noting that Hurts missed Weeks 16 and 17 in 2022 due to injury before sitting out Week 17 again in 2024. We've seen his backups, such as Gardner Minshew and Pickett, deliver fantasy-relevant performances in his absence, so McKee could be one of the top backup QBs to monitor in deeper superflex or two-QB formats.

Sunday, August 10, 4:56 PM

Chicago Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent completed 13 of 19 passes for 103 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in his start against the Miami Dolphins. Bagent played the entire first half and had an up-and-down outing. After going three-and-out on the first two drives of the game, Bagent and the Bears marched down the field on a 16-play 79-yard drive that finished with a four-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Alexander on a fourth and goal. Bagent proceeded to throw an interception on the next drive to end a two-minute drill near the end of the half. Bagent is currently in a quarterback battle with veteran Case Keenum for the backup role behind starter Caleb Williams. Keenum played well in the second half and brings a veteran presence to a young quarterback room. Bagent will need to perform better against the Buffalo Bills next Sunday as he looks to cement his backup role for the Bears in 2025.