The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Tanner McKee, stole the show in the team’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 7, 2025. McKee’s strong throws and smart decisions helped the Eagles win 34-27, which earned him cheers from fans and respect from coaches.
At just the age of 25, McKee has the kind of talent that makes you believe he’s ready for the big stage, but behind every rising NFL star is a story far bigger than football. Nine years ago, Tanner faced a fight much bigger than football.
Before The NFL Dreams Tanner Fought a Serious Battle with Melanoma
Back in June 2016, McKee was a standout quarterback at Centennial High School in Corona, California, dreaming of college football and maybe even the pros. Everything seemed to be on track until his mom noticed something strange when she saw a mole on her son’s forehead that was getting bigger and changing shape.
And worrying, she sent him straight to the doctor for a checkup, and that small and timely decision turned into a big turning point for McKee and his family.
Tanner shared the moment in a recent interview with NBC10 Philadelphia.
“One test came back positive for melanoma. I was like ‘all right we’re going to see if it has spread to Lymph nodes.”
Via Youtube
Melanoma is a severe form of skin cancer. McKee said the doctors explained to him that they’d need to cut out a bigger piece of skin to make sure the cancer was gone. The doctor further explained to him that if the cancer hadn’t spread, he would probably be fine, but if it had, then the chemotherapy would be an option.
To make matters worse, they warned him about the surgery to remove two lymph nodes near a nerve. If something went wrong, he could lose movement in his shoulder, and for a quarterback whose passion is throwing, this was the tough blow.
Tanner shared the thought he felt during that time,
“We’re like, “Okay, that’s my throwing arm. That would be a big deal.”
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As a devoted Christian, McKee strongly relied on his faith, and that belief carried him through as he went in for surgery soon after the diagnosis. The goal was to remove the mole and check the lymph nodes to make sure the cancer hadn’t spread.
Fortunately, the surgery went smoothly, his lymph nodes were clean, and his shoulder was fine.
Tanner recalled,
“It’s nice looking back on it that, everything went well. Now I don’t feel like, back then I really knew the scale. I was just kind of like let’s roll with it.”
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and that is why Tanner is calm, steady, and always ready for anything.
“I’m a pretty like level-headed guy in general. I don’t get too, amped up about things.”
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That same ability to stay calm under pressure has helped him face cancer and lead drives on the football field. After graduating from high school, he went out to Stanford to show the same fire that got him through his health battle.
In 2023, the Eagles picked him in the sixth round of the NFL draft, and now he’s proving he belongs. And his recent performance against the Bengals showed he’s ready to step up.
Before the game, he confidently said,
“I feel ready to go out there, not miss a beat, and keep pushing the ball down the field, My job is to earn the trust of my coaches and teammates.”
Via Youtube
