Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni delayed public confirmation of a midweek quarterback change from Tanner McKee to Joe Milton in an effort to limit the New York Giants’ preparation time ahead of Sunday’s NFC East matchup.
The Eagles entered the week at 2-6 and riding a six-game losing streak. With Jalen Hurts sidelined for the remainder of the season by blood clots, McKee had started the previous three games and gone 0-3.
On Monday, Sirianni stated that McKee was “our guy” and that no change at the position was coming. He informed McKee of the benching on Tuesday.
During Wednesday’s media availability, Sirianni still offered no indication of a switch. Reports of Milton’s elevation surfaced less than two hours later.
On Friday, Sirianni
acknowledged the intentional delay.
“I was going to hold onto that for as long as I possibly could,” he told reporters. “I’m not real shy with you guys. I’m going to tell you guys what I want to tell you guys. I respect the job that y’all have to do. But I’m going to tell you guys what I’m going to tell you guys because I have to protect the team. Every second that goes by in a situation like that where you can hold onto information as long as you possibly can is a little less time for the opponent to get ready for the game.”
Sirianni described the move as difficult, noting that McKee “played solid,” but said the change was what the staff felt gave Philadelphia the best chance to win this weekend. Milton, signed off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad roughly three weeks earlier, brings a strong arm and mobility in his first NFL start.
Even with the starter now known, Sirianni suggested the Giants still lack full clarity on how the Eagles’ offense will look with Milton under center.
The Eagles’ 2-6 record leaves little margin, and the late reveal was framed as one available edge against an NFC East-leading Giants team.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Eagles waited to announce QB change in effort to confuse New York Giants
