Sam Howell trade grades: Eagles get QB2 for Week 1 if Tanner McKee misses opener; Vikings upgrade at QB2

The Philadelphia Eagles continue to be active on the trade market with the 53-man roster cutdown looming, making their second trade in as many Sundays. This time the Eagles added at quarterback, as they acquired Sam Howell form the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. The Eagles also received a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Vikings in the deal. 

The Vikings moved on from Howell so they could sign Carson Wentz to a contract, as Wentz will be the No. 2 quarterback behind J.J. McCarthy. This made Howell expendable. The Eagles needed to add depth to their quarterback room after Tanner McKee's finger injury, which made them players to give up a Day 3 pick for Howell (and the Eagles had plenty of them to give away). 

In a trade that made sense for both teams, who won the deal? Both teams fared well in this one, given what they were trying to accomplish. 

Eagles: A-

The Eagles needed a No. 2 quarterback for Week 1 in the worst way. This doesn't mean Tanner McKee isn't the QB2, but he's dealing with a finger injury that may keep him out for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys in 11 days. McKee isn't expected to go on injured reserve, as he's not getting surgery on the finger, but he'll still need time to recover. 

The QB3 options on the Eagles roster were not suitable to backup Jalen Hurts based on this preseason. Sixth-round pick Kyle McCord needs some time to develop and isn't ready for a QB2 role, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson didn't even play the final preseason game. Both players were likely to get cut by the Eagles, as they were hoping McCord would pass through waivers and land to the practice squad for further development.

The Eagles still needed a QB3 regardless, so they took a flyer on Howell. They can develop him in a similar fashion to McKee, and Howell is on the last year of his rookie deal -- giving the Eagles enough time to evaluate him. Howell, despite how things ended up in Minnesota, is a much better option than either Thompson-Robinson or McCord for the opener. Howell has also started 18 game sin this league, so experience is vital for that QB2 role if McKee is out. 

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McKee isn't going anywhere either. He'll be the QB2 this year when he gets healthy. The Eagles quarterback room is Hurts, McKee, and Howell -- who was worth moving back a round in the draft for. This is why the Eagles stockpile picks, so they can afford to fill some holes on the current roster. 

Vikings: B+

In what is certainly a head-scratching move for the Vikings, they did upgrade at the backup quarterback position by moving on from Howell. The Vikings did bring in Carson Wentz for a visit on Saturday, only to sign him immediately after trading Howell to the Eagles -- and moving up a round in the 2026 draft as a result (sixth to fifth). They also acquired a seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft, which may not amount to much even though it's extra draft capital.

The Vikings wanted to upgrade their QB2 after Howell's disastrous performance in his last preseason game, in which he went 1 of 5 for 13 yards and an interception. Max Brosmer looked promising in the preseason finale, but he is not ready to be the QB2 behind J.J. Mccarthy -- who missed all of last season with the meniscus injury. 

Adding Wentz gives the Vikings a veteran No. 2 quarterback with more-than-enough experience to back up McCarthy, even though Wentz has been on six teams over his last six seasons. He's started game in the league and played at a high level at one point in his career, while also being a serviceable backup to Matthew Stafford and Patrick Mahomes. The Vikings appeared to have upgraded at the QB2, while finding a taker for Howell because the Eagles needed a quarterback.

The Vikings traded a fifth-round pick in April for Howell, only to get a fifth-round pick back for 2026 by dealing him. The Howell experience at QB2 didn't work, but it was a push. The Vikings just have to bank on Wentz being better than Howell this season.