Giants' Dru Phillips on Eagles benching Tanner McKee for Joe Milton III: 'Not a big deal'

A surprising storyline regarding this Sunday's game between the 4-2-1 New York Giants and the 2-6 Philadelphia Eagles arose on Wednesday when it was learned that the Eagles were benching temporary starting quarterback Tanner McKee in favor of Joe Milton III. 

For a piece published on Thursday, Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media spoke with Giants cornerback Dru Phillips about the Eagles' unexpected switch. 

Giants assume Eagles "wanted something new" in switch to Joe Milton III

"It's not a big deal," slot cornerback Dru Phillips told NJ.com. "We're still going to run the same stuff [as a defense]."

"I was just like, 'Oh, OK,'" Phillips explained. "They're both backup quarterbacks, so they could go either way. Maybe they wanted something new. I don't know. But I just saw it, and I was like, 'OK, cool.'"

McKee started the Eagles' last three games that Jalen Hurts missed due to blood clots that will keep him out of action through the rest of this season. Over those three defeats, McKee completed 63.2 percent of his pass attempts for 638 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Most recently, he failed to guide Philadelphia on a single scoring drive after the first quarter of a 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders on Nov. 1.

As for Milton, the Eagles signed him off the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad in October.

Giants know Joe Milton III has "got a big arm and is a willing runner"

This past January, Milton attempted 13 passes while playing for the Cowboys in a Week 18 road game at the Giants that was essentially meaningless for both teams. He completed seven of those throws for 73 yards and an interception. He also rushed for 43 yards on four attempts. 

In total, Milton has attempted 53 regular-season passes as a pro. The 2024 sixth-round draft pick has also rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on 15 total carries. 

"He's a great athlete," Phillips said of Milton. "He's got a big arm and is a willing runner. Different opportunities are going to present themselves with him [compared to McKee]. Got to just contain QB runs."

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Giants as 3.5-point road favorites over the Eagles. Nevertheless, New York pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux insisted he and his teammates won't be taking the banged-up Eagles lightly. 

"I think he has some special talent," Thibodeaux added about Milton. "I watched him coming out [of college], and he's very mobile."