Which NFL Teams Could Tanner McKee Start For?

When Derek Carr announced his retirement in the middle of the 2025 NFL off-season, the New Orleans Saints found themselves in need of a starting quarterback. They opted to let their young, rostered quarterbacks fight for the job, and while no starter has been announced yet, it is likely going to be rookie Tyler Shough.
Shough has yet to perform at the NFL level, so if Tanner McKee were in New Orleans, he would already have an edge over Shough with his experience. Additionally, according to ESPN, McKee is a little bit bigger than Shough by being nearly two inches taller and twelve pounds heavier. Both McKee and Shough are pocket quarterbacks, so having the additional size would be helpful for a quarterback slinging the ball downfield and playing a full season. Shough may end up being a quality NFL quarterback, but if they had both him and McKee on the roster today, the Mormon Missile would be the better option as the starter.

The New York Jets have had trouble finding the right quarterback for them for years; this season, they will start the season gambling on Justin Fields. Unfortunately, Fields has not yet proven to be a capable starting quarterback in the NFL. In his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears, he threw 30 interceptions in just as many games played. He has since been passed on by both the Bears and his most recent team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were desperate to find a quarterback themselves for most of this off-season.
While Tanner McKee’s NFL sample size is a fraction of Justin Fields’, it would be hard for him to do worse than Fields has in his career thus far. The New York Jets may end up being the place that Fields revives his career, but if they had the option to gamble on either him or McKee as the 2025 starter, McKee would offer higher upside.

The other team in New York, the Giants, are also searching for a long-term starting quarterback to lead their team beyond their rebuild. Unlike the Jets, the Giants have options at quarterback in Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxon Dart; however, Tanner McKee would be a better alternative to roll out in 2025 than any of those options.
Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are both well into their thirties, so neither is a long-term option. If Wilson or Winston play this season, it will be in a short-term role to allow Jaxon Dart time to develop; however, both are at points in their careers where they can no longer do what they used to. If the Giants had Tanner McKee, they would have a young talent leading the helm while Jaxon Dart develops, and McKee is talented enough to take hold of the starting job before Dart ever gets a chance. Unfortunately for New York, they will have to admire McKee from across the field when they play the Eagles in 2025.