Report: Eagles QB room to look slightly different vs. Cowboys

The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will kick off their 2025 season with a bout against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday in what will mark the first game of the new NFL campaign.

However, the Eagles’ quarterback room is set to look slightly different in its Week 1 matchup. Philadelphia’s backup signal-caller Tanner McKee has been ruled out for the contest with a right thumb injury, and in his place, Sam Howell will be the Eagles’ QB2.

McKee was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles back in the 2023 NFL Draft, and across two games played and one start with the team last season, he accumulated 323 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and no interceptions.

Howell, on the other hand, has yet to make his Eagles debut since the team recently traded with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire him. He’s clearly the more experienced quarterback of the two, as he got extended run as a starter with the Washington Commanders in the 2023 season, though it’s worth noting he led the league in interceptions that season as well.

However, Howell likely won’t see the field in the Eagles’ season opener so long as quarterback Jalen Hurts doesn’t go down with an injury. Hurts has staked his claim as one of the NFL’s premier players at the position, and he won the Super Bowl MVP award after he helped Philadelphia beat the Kansas City Chiefs handily on football’s grandest stage last season.

Hurts can put the Eagles on the right path to be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the Chiefs with a strong performance in a win for Philadelphia. The contest stands out as a game the Eagles should win, especially now that linebacker Micah Parsons has been traded from Dallas and is a member of the Green Bay Packers.

With any luck, Howell won’t have to fill in for an injured Hurts on Thursday or at any other point across the 2025 campaign. But he has the experience to hold down the fort in spurts if it comes to that, and McKee should also be able to slide back into the QB2 role once he’s healthy.