The Eagles have talked about it all year – when A.J. Brown went down with an injury, when DeVonta Smith and Lane Johnson and Dallas Goedert were out, and now with Jalen Hurts out on Sunday with a concussion – it's the next man up.
Last week, former Pittsburgh Steeler and lifelong Eagles fan Kenny Pickett came in when Hurts went down and played his tail off, but the Eagles came up just short on the road against Washington, losing in the final seconds.
Pickett came away from the game with a rib injury in which he fought through this week to be ready to play.
After having a full week to prepare and get reps with the starters, Pickett got his first start as an Eagle and shined with his teammates behind him every step of the way.
"Coming to a team like this was awesome," Pickett said. "It reminds me of a college feel how much each guy cares for each other. We're all pulling for each other, and we all leave it all out there and that's all you can ask for.
"And then you add the talent and that's what makes it a really special group. It's been a lot of fun to be here. Don't want the ride to end so, we're going to keep working."
Pickett commanded the offense in the first half, throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown to DeVonta Smith on 10/15 passing and a QB rating of 119.6.
As the first half came to a close, Pickett took a shot to the injured ribs and had to come out of the game after battling through the half.
"I left it all out there. I did everything I could to play today. Stayed in there as long as I could, so I have no regrets or anything leaving the stadium. We got the win and that's all that matters. It was a special day for everyone in there," Pickett said.
"Kenny coming in, he played really tough last week. He's a competitor. He got hit pretty hard a few times out there and he's got a lot of grit to him, and he's a fighter. And so, I was impressed with how he conducted himself today and Tanner (McKee) was the exact same way," right tackle Lane Johnson said.
Tanner McKee entered the game for the injured Pickett early in the third quarter and was ready to roll.
On his second drive of the day, McKee threw a dime to Brown on third-and-8 in the left corner of the end zone for his first career touchdown pass.
"It's surreal. You grow up dreaming of playing college football, and then someday in the NFL, and so to actually be able to play in the NFL, play with these guys, throw a touchdown pass and win a game was surreal," McKee at his locker after his NFL debut.
Although McKee didn't know he was going to play going into the game, his preparation is the same as Pickett's and everyone else on the team every week.
"I feel like, in general, I try to prepare like I'm going to be the starter," McKee said. "So as far as preparation, things didn't change that much. Because I feel like I prepare that way every week. But last night, I was going through the call sheet a few times and just running things in every single possible scenario that we could get just, just so I could go out, not think, and just play with second nature."
McKee finished the day with a pair of touchdown passes as he found Smith for a 25-yard touchdown catch and run with 10:09 left in the game as the Eagles blew out the Cowboys 41-7.
"It was awesome, so happy for Tanner," Pickett said. "He's a great guy. Being in the quarterback room you spend so much time together. We watch a lot of tape together on the opponent for whatever week it is and in the meetings and on the practice field. So happy for him and a special day for everyone in the locker room."
For the two quarterbacks who did their job to the fullest and left it all out there, the experience they've gotten will only make them better going forward.
It truly is a next-man-up mentality in Philadelphia.
"Guys obviously know that it is a next-man-up mentality. Everybody has each other's back," McKee said.
"When I heard, 'Hey I'm going in,' all these guys have a ton of confidence in me. I know we have a ton of confidence in all the other guys that are second, third string, whatever it is that when they get out there and they get called on, they're going to go out and make a play and it's just going to keep going," McKee said.
– Written by Liam Wichser
