PHILADELPHIA − If the Eagles are going to go down this road of revolving quarterbacks, they at least would want someone who can give them a fighting chance.
So Tanner McKee is out, and Joe Milton is in.
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And the reason why is pretty obvious, although the Eagles tried to keep it a secret for as long as possible, to the extent that left guard Landon Dickerson said both QBs shared first-team reps in practice on Nov. 4.
That seems absurd with a game to prepare for against the Giants on Nov. 8. Then again, the media is only allowed to watch warmups and individual drills, so who knows?
But even if Milton and McKee were splitting reps, the reviews for Milton were impressive.
“Have you seen the guy’s arm?” left tackle Jordan Mailata asked. “It is a (expletive) cannon. Oh, my God … You see it on TV. You hear about it when he was going through the draft. But then when you see it, it’s a work of art, man.”
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba (24) intercepts a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (13) during the first half Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Eagles were called for a penalty on the play.
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper (80) runs against Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin (20) and safety Jeremy Reaves (39) during the first half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (4) kicks a field goal against the Washington Commanders during the first half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Eagles took a 3-0 lead on the play.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (13) makes a catch Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27) during the first half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) looks to pass against the Washington Commanders during the first half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) runs against the Washington Commanders during the first half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a rushing touchdown past Frankie Luvu #4 and Sonny Styles #52 of the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. Barkley’s touchdown gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates with quarterback Tanner McKee (16) after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The touchdown made it 10-0 Eagles.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Drew Stevens #19 of the Washington Commanders is congratulated by his teammates after kicking a field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 1, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. The field goal cut the Eagles lead to 10-3.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders highlights. Top plays from NFL Week 8 matchup
Tanner McKee #16 of the Philadelphia Eagles is sacked by Shy Tuttle #96 of the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Stefon Diggs #3 of the Washington Commanders scores a touchdown reception against Kenny Moore II #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. The touchdown tied the game at 10-10.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
None of this is a dig at McKee. He is what he is, a backup quarterback who can get the Eagles through a game − but not necessarily if you have to win that game.
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That’s because the Eagles went 0-3 in McKee’s three starts. They averaged 15 points per game, and two of those games were against two of the worst defensive teams in the NFL in the Cowboys, a 38-21 loss on Oct. 26, and Commanders, a 27-10 loss on Nov. 1.
McKee, who’s not mobile and does not have a cannon for an arm, has a passer rating of 76.6 in the three games. That would rank 27th among qualifying NFL starting QBs. McKee is hardly the only cause for the Eagles’ six-game losing streak, their longest since the 2012 season.
“We’re not playing good ball right now,” Mailata said. “So does it surprise me? No, it doesn’t. We’re playing, up front, we’re playing like trash. And we gotta come back in here and, and fix that.”
Sure, there are extenuating circumstances. For one, Jalen Hurts had lost his last three games as the starter before getting sidelined to treat blood clots in his lungs.
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Secondly, McKee didn’t have the Eagles’ two leading wide receivers in DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks for the past two games, and he had a running back in Saquon Barkley playing despite hamstring and back injuries.
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a rushing touchdown past Frankie Luvu #4 and Sonny Styles #52 of the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. Barkley’s touchdown gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a rushing touchdown past Frankie Luvu #4 and Sonny Styles #52 of the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. Barkley’s touchdown gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Stefon Diggs #3 of the Washington Commanders scores a touchdown reception against Kenny Moore II #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. The touchdown tied the game at 10-10.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Charles Omenihu #90 of the Washington Commanders recovers a fumble by Tanner McKee #16 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Washington Commanders defensive end Charles Omenihu (90) celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Washington Commanders kicker Drew Stevens (19) kicks a field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The field goal gave the Commanders a 16-10 lead.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (4) misses a field goal against Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil (0) during the second half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Jake Elliott #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after missing a field goal against the Washington Commanders during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Landover, Maryland.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Washington Commanders cornerback Rasul Douglas (29) celebrates with fans in the stands after an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White (1) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The score gave the Commanders 25-10 lead.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Eagles vs. Commanders. 8 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) celebrates after scoring on a two-point conversion against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half on Nov. 1 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Still, McKee didn’t help his cause. He’s an unrestricted free agent after the season after beginning the season as the No. 3. In other words, the Eagles know what they have, or don’t have, in McKee.
They don’t know what they have in Milton, who’s a restricted free agent after the season. That essentially means that the Eagles can keep Milton for next season if they want.
In a lost season, there’s little risk in finding out. If Milton plays well, the Eagles have a backup QB for next season. If he doesn’t, they’ll find someone else.
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After all, there’s a reason Milton was on the Cowboys’ practice squad when the Eagles “poached” him by signing him to their 53-man roster on Oct. 16.
Milton was a four-star recruit coming out of high school near Orlando, Florida. He spent three seasons at Michigan, but only became a starter in 2020, a season shortened by COVID. Milton lost his starting job late that season and transferred to Tennessee, where he spent three seasons.
Milton was undistinguishable in his first two seasons. Then in his third, in 2023, he threw for 2,813 yards and rushed for 299 more. The Patriots made him their sixth-round pick. In the season-finale as a rookie, Milton came on in relief against Buffalo and completed 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a touchdown.
The Cowboys were no doubt intrigued by Milton’s potential. So they traded a fifth-round pick during the offseason to get him. In 2025, Milton got into four games last season in mop-up duty. Then he was waived following training camp and re-signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad.
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The Cowboys had seen enough. Still, Milton is 6-foot-5, 236 pounds, and Mailata wasn’t the only Eagle who said he has a “cannon” for an arm.
“He’s a real good athlete,” tight end Dallas Goedert said. “That stands out. He’s got a cannon of an arm. (At practice), he seemed like he was really accurate. He got through his reads good, hit the check downs when he needed. It’ll be exciting for him to go out there, and I know he’s excited to get on the field and play.”
It sure seemed like Milton was ordained to start at some point after the Eagles signed him on Oct. 16. Within a week, Milton had surpassed rookie Cole Payton and was named the backup.
All of this came about awkwardly. On Nov. 2, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni had said, when asked if he’s considering benching McKee, “Tanner’s our guy. We’re not making any changes there.”
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Two days later, Sirianni made the change. Sirianni spoke to the media on Nov. 4, but did not say anything about a QB change. It was clear what Sirianni’s true motivation was.
“We found out probably minutes before everybody else,” Goedert said. “(The coaches) mentioned it quickly in the meeting, and then we talked about it as a tight end group. We were kind of hoping it would stay under wraps and it would be a competitive advantage.”
For now, the Eagles will take any kind of advantage from Milton.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the “Eye On The Eagles” newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles‘ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
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