Eagles benching McKee for Milton vs. Giants as Sirianni reveals 'complete support'

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Joe Milton III. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eagles benching Tanner McKee for Joe Milton III vs. Giants as Nick Sirianni reveals 'complete support' from ownership

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Nov 4, 2026 2:46 PM ET

Current Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Tanner McKee failed to guide the Eagles on a single scoring drive after the first quarter of the 27-10 loss to the rival Washington Commanders that dropped Philadelphia to 2-6 this past Sunday night.

It appears that was enough for Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni to make a big change amid whispers about his uncertain future.

Eagles had seen enough of Tanner McKee

On Wednesday afternoon, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles are benching McKee and will be starting Joe Milton III when Philadelphia hosts a 4-2-1 New York Giants team coming off its bye this coming Sunday.

McKee started the Eagles' last three games as first-choice option Jalen Hurts was sidelined due to blood clots that will keep him out of action through the rest of this season. Over those contests, McKee completed 63.2 percent of his pass attempts for 638 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

As for Milton, the Eagles signed him off the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad in October. A 2024 sixth-round draft pick, Milton has thus far attempted just 53 regular-season passes as a pro.

Tanner McKee is no longer the #Eagles’ guy at starting QB.

Joe Milton has been promoted to QB1 ahead of the demoted McKee, a team source confirmed @MikeGarafolo and @AdamSchefter report.

The team believes the more mobile Milton will help improve the offense, a source said. https://t.co/ueOaz7gYDW
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) November 4, 2026

Giants QB JJ McCarthy vs. Eagles QB Joe Milton on Sunday.

Those two have been with their current teams for a combined 56 days. And they'll start against each four days from now in a key NFC East game.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 4, 2026

Is Nick Sirianni worried about losing his job?

A Wednesday report revealed that the Eagles "likely won't engage in a rebuild" that would involve general manager Howie Roseman selling big-name players before the NFL trade deadline arrives at 4:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 10. Meanwhile, Sirianni insisted during his Wednesday news conference that he feels "complete support" from Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie.

"I've always felt nothing but complete support from Mr. Lurie in everything. Through good times, through bad times, that's huge to know the owner has your back in all situations," Sirianni said, per Tim McManus of ESPN.

Shortly after the Milton news broke, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Eagles as 3.5-point home underdogs against the Giants. While some have said amid the Eagles' six-game losing streak that Lurie could move on from Sirianni come January, the one-time Super Bowl champion head coach doesn't seem to be losing sleep about his status.

"We've been [at the] high of highs, we've been low, and I've felt nothing but support, and my communication remains the same with him as it has whether we're on a winning streak or whether we're on a losing streak," Sirianni added while speaking about Lurie. "I love that steadiness, and I'm trying to give that same thing to the guys, the consistency, the steadiness, because I know I'm receiving it from the very top."

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink.

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