Nov. 5, 2026
I accuse so many people of being stupid, it’s only fair when I draw the same conclusion about myself. The blog post of yesterday – one day ago! – turned out to be a premature criticism of Nick Sirianni for doing nothing while he teams spirals into the abyss.
Well, it turns out I was wrong. The status quo was not so quo after all. Late Wednesday, the organization confirmed that Tanner McKee would be heading back to the bench in favor of Joe Milton, an enigma who was on the Dallas practice squad until the Eagles claimed him last month.
The Eagles have a new starting quarterback.
The Joe Milton era has begun.
If you’re wondering who actually made the decision to bench McKee, well, congrats. You are now eligible for a rare glimpse into the coaching world of Nick Sirianni, where all decisions are final until the guys upstairs, owner Jeff Lurie and GM Howie Roseman, tell him otherwise.
Just try to follow the dots here. On Monday, after an abysmal performance by McKee, Sirianni boldly assured everyone that no changes were under consideration.
“Tanner’s our guy,” he said. “We’re not making any changes there.”
Not much wiggle room there, no? Sirianni had studied the tape at that point, and he was convinced McKee was still the best option.
So, what changed his mind?
Bad question. Try again.
So, who changed his mind?
Look, I’m not hanging out in the Ivory Tower with the bosses, but a change of mind that radical can indicate only one of two possibilities. Either Sirianni has no conviction about what he does decide, or he isn’t actually the one making the decisions.
My educated guess is that Lurie and Roseman got together and decided it was time to take a look at Milton. Then they told Sirianni what to do. As always, Nick said yes. He is only here coaching the Eagles because he’s so committed to agreeing with his higher-ups, even if the decision makes him look like a powerless fool.
The timing of the decision was especially interesting. Sirianni had already held his Wednesday news conference and gave no indication of any change at that time. In fact, when Milton’s name came up, the coach’s praise was tepid, at best.
“He works extremely hard,” Sirianni said. “He’s always in the building doing extra things, and I like his progression.”
Not exactly the start of a Hall of Fame induction speech, is it? Well, don’t rule out that Sirianni didn’t know about the change even then, at that news conference, four days before the game Sunday against the Giants. If it was his decision, wouldn’t he have announced it then?
One thing we can definitely glean from this latest twist in a horrific season is that nobody on the Eagles is worried about Sirianni’s credibility. He can say something definitive one day, do a complete reversal two days later and expect no pushback from the media.
By now is anyone left who believes Sirianni is more than a puppet for his bosses?
Please don’t misunderstand how I feel about this latest quarterback switch. I endorse it, if only because McKee has already proven he is not an NFL-caliber QB, especially behind the porous offensive line right now. At least with Milton, the chances of escape from the constantly-collapsing pocket are better. He can run.
Unfortunately, he will not succeed. There are too many red flags. Yes, he’s fast afoot and has a potent arm, but his accuracy is sorely lacking, he has dubious judgment under pressure and is prone to turnovers. There are lots of good reasons why he was stuck on the practice squad of a terrible Dallas team.
In the end, the silver lining of this torturous season is that – once Milton and maybe even rookie Cole Payton botch their chances – the idiotic debate over how much of a problem Jalen Hurts has been will finally end.
Hurts is not the problem – never has been, probably never will be. He’s a Super Bowl champ. He’s smarter than most quarterbacks – a lot more intelligent than whichever medical genius cleared him to take that trip to London with a blood clot in his calf.
Anyway, getting back to my original point. I’m not very bright myself. I actually took Sirianni at his word when he decreed: “Tanner’s our guy” on Monday.
Until the word our includes Lurie and Roseman, I understand better now that those words have no meaning. Lesson learned.
Anyway, the Joe Milton era will begin on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
My best advice is not to take any bathroom breaks. You might miss it.