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Kenny Pickett and Jaelan Phillips Know How to Prepare Carolina to Take on the Eagles Without Jalen Hurts
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- Kenny Pickett and Jaelan Phillips Know How to Prepare Carolina to Take on the Eagles Without Jalen Hurts
The Philadelphia Eagles got some bad news ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The team found out that star quarterback Jalen Hurts will be out "indefinitely" due to a superficial blood clot .
The Eagles are 2-3, so they really need to start stacking wins. That's going to be hard to do now without their quarterback, but the team does believe in Tanner McKee , who has shown some positive signs at times.
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For the Panthers, they also need a win this weekend after enjoying a bye in Week 5 . Sometimes, preparing for a backup quarterback on short notice can actually be a big disadvantage. There's not a ton of film on McKee in the regular season, so the Panthers might not know how to prepare.
Well, the good news is the Panthers have a couple of former Eagles on the roster who do know a bit about McKee.
Jaelan Phillips, Kenny Pickett Talk About McKee
Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason. © Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Panthers found out about Hurts just before going out to practice on Thursday. That doesn't give the team much time to prepare, but Jaelan Phillips and Kenny Pickett have played with McKee before.
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"He throws the ball really well," Phillips said of McKee . "Good pocket presence. So he's definitely a good quarterback, no slouch at all."
Phillips and McKee were together in Philadelphia last season. McKee was the scout team quarterback, so Phillips got to see a good bit of him in practice.
"He has a good pocket presence; he has good composure. He doesn't feel like a backup quarterback per se. He goes in the game, and he commands the game, so like I said, I can't take him lightly at all," Phillips added.
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McKee has only started two games in the NFL. The quarterback has thrown for 597 total yards with five touchdowns and one interception in his limited opportunities.
McKee's first NFL action came in relief of Pickett during the 2024 season.
"Yeah, he just prepares," Pickett said of McKee. "Preparation is so key, and you know you don't get the reps, but you have to be so mentally locked in, and he does a great job of that. He's an awesome guy, you know, always rooting for him except, you know, this Sunday."
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Having two players with first-hand experience will definitely be a positive for the Panthers. The team can lean on that advice from Phillips and Pickett and tailor the gameplan more to stopping McKee, rather than a mobile quarterback like Hurts.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
