Why Eagles Tanner McKee was a Brazilian media star before the Packers game

SAO PAULO, Brazil – The Eagles held a press conference for Brazilian media on Thursday, featuring some of their key players such as quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley.

But it was the Eagles’ third quarterback, Tanner McKee, who had never played in an NFL game, who was the proverbial star of the show.

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McKee was already well known in Brazil, having spent nearly two years in the South American country from 2018 to 2020 on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints.

During this time, he became fluent in Portuguese. And it was a huge hit with the media when McKee took a question from a reporter in Portuguese, answered it in Portuguese, and then translated it into English, even though the NFL had provided a translator.

This is how the exchange went after the question was asked:

McKee said to the crowd of about 50 media representatives: “You want me to do it in Portuguese?”

The translator asked the question in English: “Basically, we wanted to (know what it’s like) to return to Brazil and come back here after living here for years.”

McKee replied, “So you want me to say it in Portuguese and you translate it? I can translate myself.”

After a long answer in Portuguese, McKee says in English: “It’s great to be back.”

There was then a long pause for effect, followed by laughter, before McKee continued: “It’s quite fun because I’m always trying to keep up my Portuguese. I try to say things on WhatsApp or Instagram with people I’ve met here and made friends with.”

“But (today) it’s different because we can actually talk to somebody face to face. I have family that’s here. My wife is here. My parents are here. And they go to Rio and places where I’ve lived and served… So it’s really fun just to be back in that culture.”

McKee was asked another question in Portuguese about the fears some players have about crime in Brazil, which were reported last week, and whether McKee has spoken to those players to allay their fears.

Again, McKee responded in Portuguese and then translated himself: “I just said that a lot of people have never been here and so they don’t really know a lot of things. So they ask me, ‘What’s the crime rate like? What’s it like here?’ We do a lot of what we do when we go to any city: we have to be safe. We don’t go out on the streets, whether we’re in the United States or outside the United States.

“It’s not necessarily unique to here. It’s just that a) people don’t really know the culture and b) it’s a big city… The people are great. The (players) are excited to play. There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s pretty cool.”

The Brazilian media also asked McKee a question about football: What will the offense look like under new coordinator Kellen Moore?

And here McKee provided some clues as to what the offense might look like on Friday night.

“A lot of movement before the snap, a lot of changes on defense,” he said. “I think it’s better for the quarterback when you can just go through progressions. I think in football, we have a lot of good players, and you don’t want to slow down by having to think too much.”

“You just want to go out and play fast, have some kind of clean edge and go out and play. I think that’s what they’re giving us this year – go out and play football, let’s not overcomplicate things … We’re going to do what we do. I’m just excited to see that, and I’m just as excited for you guys to see AJ (Brown) and (DeVonta Smith) and Jalen and Saquon do their thing.”

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline. Follow him on X @Mfranknfl, on Threads and Instagram @martinfrank1.

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