Benching Tanner McKee for Joe Milton might not generate support across the board from analysts and fans focused on the Philadelphia Eagles.
While a large portion of Eagles fans have been calling for Milton since the Eagles added him from the Dallas Cowboys‘ practice squad, the decision to name Milton as the starter still came as a bit of a shock on Wednesday, November 4.
Making Sense Of The Eagles’ Joe Milton Situation Before The Giants Game
The number one reason why you’ll hear that Milton is getting this opportunity is due to mobility.
The Eagles are running an offense that is supposed to be catered to Jalen Hurts. While Hurts has famously taken a step back in keeping the ball on the ground before he went out with his recent setback, the Eagles still relied on running when it was necessary.
McKee never possessed the mobile badge. Throughout his nine NFL appearances, McKee rushed just 19 times. During his three starts this season, he tucked the ball and ran six times for 26 yards. His 17-game average for his career would come out to 36 rushes for 62 yards per season.
Milton has appeared in just five NFL games since 2024. Over those two seasons, he rushed 15 times for 66 yards. Neither quarterback has been dominant on the ground throughout their limited pro action, but Milton rushed plenty in college.
During his final season at Tennessee, Milton ran the ball 78 times in 12 games. Over 43 NCAA appearances, he had 174 rushing attempts for 661 yards. McKee’s rushing stats in college took a massive hit due to the sacks he took. The former Stanford quarterback rushed for a true 71 carries in college for 247 yards. McKee was able to get mobile, but Milton has the better background in that category.
Stock Is Down
Without saying much, the Eagles told everybody that they no longer thought too highly of McKee heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Not only did they trade for Andy Dalton to compete with McKee during the offseason, but they ended up making Dalton the initial backup, after allowing McKee to serve that role over the past two seasons.
Eventually, Dalton played his way into a demotion, but the fact that McKee started the season as a third-stringer was extremely telling. His stock was already down before he started a game. The Eagles received a three-game sample size, and clearly weren’t proven wrong.
McKee threw 114 passes. He completed 63.2% of his passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Eagles went 0-3 with him under center.
When The Season’s Lost, Get Creative
Does it feel like a desperate move? Sure.
But face it, the Eagles are desperate. They haven’t won a game since September. The NFC East is weak, but each week of the season has proved the Eagles are not anywhere near championship contender status.
Joe Milton might not be the answer, but the Eagles don’t know that yet. After a full offseason, preseason, and three starts with McKee at quarterback, they know for a fact that McKee is not the answer.
If McKee is likely out of the picture at the end of the 2026 NFL season, then why shouldn’t the Eagles get creative and try something new? Back when the Eagles had a lost season with Carson Wentz under center, they took a chance on Jalen Hurts and realized they had a franchise quarterback on their hands.
Not saying these two situations are identical, but the Eagles can find a similar discovery. If Milton shows promise, maybe they have the answers to the upcoming backup quarterback question they’ll have at the end of the season.
When the season’s already lost, get creative and try things that you wouldn’t be able to do if you were contending for a playoff spot. It’s a rare opportunity for the Eagles, and they are wise to go in that direction.
