When the Philadelphia Eagles take the field on Sunday for Week 9 against the New York Giants, they’ll have a new quarterback under center.
The veteran backup, Tanner McKee, has been benched in favor of the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Joe Milton.
There are certainly mixed opinions on the Eagles’ decision. Some fans have pounded the table for the change since they watched McKee face the Carolina Panthers for his first start. Some have come to his defense.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce falls under the latter. While he understands the decision from one perspective, he believes that McKee didn’t necessarily play himself into getting benched.
Ex-Eagles Star Jason Kelce Defends Tanner McKee After Getting Benched
“I like feel bad; I think Tanner wasn’t playing awful,” Kelce said on 94WIP this week.
“I don’t think he was playing great. I think he was going out there and battling, especially given the circumstances with receivers down, offensive line. You know, Saquon [Barkley] being in and out. You’re playing with the sixth-string running back. I mean, I think given the circumstances, he was going out there and playing pretty hard and doing what he could to help the team. … Tanner has put a lot of time and effort into that building for a number of years now, and I don’t think he necessarily warranted being benched, if I’m being honest.”
Kelce’s argument isn’t a bad one. You’ll have a hard time finding any quarterback to win with the Eagles’ offense’s current circumstances.
But doing the same thing week in and week out is a recipe for failure. McKee went 0-3 over his starting stretch. It’s unclear if the different look with Milton will make a difference or not, but the Eagles have to at least try.
On Sunday, Milton will get his turn against the Giants. Where the Eagles go from there will depend on his overall performance.
