Eagles bench Jalen Hurts' replacement for QB they poached from Cowboys - USA Today
The Philadelphia Eagles are headed for more upheaval on offense.
This time, however, the change is coming of their own volition.
Joe Milton III will overtake Tanner McKee as the team's new starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the New York Giants, ESPN reported on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
McKee had filled in as the starter since Week 6, when Jalen Hurts was sidelined by blood clots. With Hurts likely to be out for the season after it was discovered that the blood clots had traveled to both of his lungs, McKee had expected to hold the reins to the offense the rest of the way.
But Philadelphia's injury-ravaged offense has continued to flounder with the fourth-year passer at the helm. The Eagles are 0-3 in his starts, which has extended an ongoing skid to six games.
Milton did not join the Eagles until Oct. 16, when he was signed from the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. The strong-armed passer has never started an NFL game. His most extensive work came in a Week 18 game for the New England Patriots in the 2024 season, when he threw for 241 yards on 22-of-29 passing.
The move comes just two days after Eagles coach Nick Sirianni insisted that he wouldn't make a change with his starting quarterback.
"Tanner's our guy. We're not making any changes there," Sirianni said in a news conference Monday. "Again, how do we find solutions? That could be within scheme, that could be within how our schedule is, practice plays. Everything's on the table for us in that aspect. But right now, this is where we are and we're trying to find solutions there. We're looking at everything as far as what we can do differently as coaches."
McKee threw for 212 yards and an interception on 23-of-32 passing in Sunday night's 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders. For the season, he has thrown for 638 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The shift is just the latest in the series of major changes for Philadelphia's offense this fall.
Philadelphia had hoped that new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and his scheme heavy on under-center and play-action looks might revitalize a unit that turned stale in 2025. Instead, a severely shorthanded group has struggled to execute with consistency on any front.
The September retirement of right tackle Lane Johnson and trade sending away interior offensive lineman Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens created further uncertainty up front for Sirianni and Mannion. Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith have both missed significant time with injuries.
The confluence of issues has submerged Philadelphia's offense to depths not seen by the franchise this century. The Eagles rank last in yards per game (265.3) and yards per play (4.4), as well as 31st in expected points added per play (-0.20, per Next Gen Stats) and 30th in scoring (17.1 points per game).
