NFL · Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles Roster Shock: Nick Sirianni Benches Starter, Names Joe Milton III QB1 vs. Giants
The Philadelphia Eagles have benched Tanner McKee. Joe Milton III is the starting quarterback against the New York Giants on Sunday. Two days after Nick Sirianni said McKee was the starter, the 2-6 Eagles are turning to Milton's rocket arm to snap a six-game losing streak.
It is a gamble. Milton has never started an NFL game. But McKee's safe offense produced three straight losses, and the Eagles are last in the NFC East.
Quick Answer
- Game
- Giants at Eagles
- Kickoff
- Sunday, 1:00 PM ET
- Network
- Fox
- Venue
- Lincoln Financial Field
- Eagles QB
- Joe Milton III — first NFL start
The Anatomy of an Audible: Sirianni's Public About-Face
On Monday, Sirianni was categorical: "Tanner's our guy. We're not making any changes there." On Wednesday, he said nothing about a change at his press conference. Less than two hours later, ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported the Eagles were benching McKee and naming Milton the starter.
The team found out in a meeting minutes before the public heard, tight end Dallas Goedert said. For a coach who had publicly backed his starter 48 hours earlier, it was a complete reversal.
The numbers explain why. McKee completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 638 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in three starts. He averaged 5.6 yards per attempt and never topped 13 fantasy points in a start. The Eagles went 0-3.
| McKee (3 starts) | Milton (5 relief appearances) | |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 638 | 424 |
| TD / INT | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Yards per attempt | 5.6 | — |
| Rushing | — | 66 yards, 1 TD |
The Journey to Philly: How Milton Became the Answer
Milton's path to the starting job took three teams in three years. The Patriots drafted him in the sixth round in 2024 out of Tennessee. He played five games as a rookie, then was traded to Dallas in April 2025.
The Eagles signed him off Dallas' practice squad on October 16, days after Jalen Hurts was lost for the season with blood clots in his lungs. It took Milton a week to become the backup and three weeks to become the starter.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| April 2025 | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Eagles sign him off Dallas' practice squad |
| Nov 4, 2026 | Named Eagles starter vs the Giants |
Playbook Transformation: What the "Rocket Arm" Changes
What changes is the shape of the offense. Milton is 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, with one of the strongest arms in the NFL and real mobility. McKee was a pocket passer who averaged 5.6 yards per attempt. Milton throws it deep and can run when the pocket breaks down.
His teammates have noticed. "He zips it. He zips it," receiver Darius Cooper said. "You can hear it flying in the air." The arm is the story, but the legs matter too: Milton has 66 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in five career appearances.
The matchup helps. The Giants allow 20.4 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, the seventh-most in the NFL. Quarterbacks with a similar play style — Jayden Daniels and Tyler Shough — both finished with at least 27 fantasy points against New York.
- DeVonta Smith: top receiver when healthy, but hamstring, DNP, missed the last two games. Check his status.
- Makai Lemon: the rookie leads the Eagles with 45 targets. The deep ball helps him most.
- Dontayvion Wicks: ankle, DNP, missed the last two games. Same check as Smith.
- Dallas Goedert: checkdowns and red-zone work. The safest Eagles pass-catcher this week.
Quick-Scan Week 9 NFC East Roster Dashboard
The Giants lead the NFC East at 4-2-1, followed by Dallas at 3-5 and Washington at 2-4-1. The Eagles are last at 2-6, three games back.
| Team | Player Focus | Designation | Fantasy / Betting Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles (2-6) | Joe Milton III | Starting QB | Desperate superflex start |
| Eagles (2-6) | Tanner McKee | Benched | Drop everywhere |
| Eagles (2-6) | Jalen Hurts | Out for season (IR) | Drop in redraft |
| Giants (4-2-1) | J.J. McCarthy | Starting QB | 2QB stream only |
| Giants (4-2-1) | Malik Nabers | WR1 | Start |
Actionable Takeaways
Starting Joe Milton III is a high-risk, maximum-reward gamble. The arm is real, the mobility is real, and the matchup is friendly. The risk is a first start behind a 2-6 team with his top two receivers questionable.
For fantasy managers, Milton is a superflex dart throw until he shows he can run the offense for four quarters. For bettors, wait for the final injury report on Smith and Wicks before touching the spread.
Quick answers
Is Joe Milton III starting Sunday? Yes. The Eagles named Milton their starter on Wednesday, replacing Tanner McKee.
Who did Joe Milton replace? Tanner McKee, who went 0-3 in three starts after Jalen Hurts was lost for the season.
Why did the Eagles bench McKee? McKee completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 638 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Eagles went 0-3.
What happened to Jalen Hurts? Hurts was lost for the season with blood clots in his lungs.
Is Joe Milton III a rookie? No. He is a third-year quarterback, a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2024.
When do the Eagles play the Giants? Sunday, November 8, at 1:00 PM ET at Lincoln Financial Field, on Fox.
- NBC Sports — The Eagles name Joe Milton III the starter for Week 9 against the Giants.
- NBC Sports Philadelphia — The locker room on Milton's arm, Goedert on the meeting, and Hurts' blood clots in his lungs.
- FTN Fantasy — Milton's fantasy outlook, Smith's targets, and Lemon leading the Eagles in targets.
- Sports Illustrated — Milton's career numbers, his 19.2-point rookie finale, and the Giants' 20.4 FPPG allowed to quarterbacks.
- The Eagles Wire (USA Today) — The Eagles fall to last in the NFC East after the 27-10 loss to Washington.
- Inside the Iggles — Week 9 injury updates, Smith and Wicks out, and the Giants game preview.