The Eagles were trying to hide starting QB change from Giants

PHILADELPHIA — There was confusion around how Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles handled their quarterback situation ahead of Sunday's game vs. the New York Giants.

But on Friday, Sirianni cleared things up: he wanted to keep it a secret that the Eagles were going to start Joe Milton instead of Tanner McKee in Week 9.

Let's back it up to how the Eagles — who are stuck in a six-game losing streak, looking for answers — got here.

On Monday, Sirianni said in a video press conference with reporters that McKee was "our guy."

On Tuesday, as we found out on Thursday, McKee was informed that he would no longer be the starting QB.

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On Wednesday, Sirianni took the podium at the Jefferson Health Training Complex and didn't announce a QB change.

Less than two hours later, ESPN reported that the Eagles were benching McKee for Milton.

Then, after the Eagles' Wednesday practice, neither McKee nor Milton spoke to reporters in the locker room.

Some players, like Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson, tried to spin a a lack of knowledge over who will start at QB. Tight end Dallas Goedert, meanwhile, confirmed that the team was told Milton would start "minutes" before ESPN's report.

Ultimately, Sirianni didn't want that information to get out.

He made that clear in his Friday press conference, the first time he spoke with the media since the Milton news leaked.

"I was going to hold onto that for as long as I possibly could," Sirianni said. "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. And so, I know there's a lot of interest on what you want to hear, what the fans want to hear. My job is to win football games and do everything that we can do to help win football games and protect the guys here on this football team and handle everything we can inside."

Sirianni has withheld information many times in the past to create a "competitive advantage." It's clear that was the plan here, too: to spring Milton on the Giants instead of McKee.

That plan was foiled when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that McKee, after starting three games, would be benched in favor of Milton, who has been in the building for three weeks.

Milton offers a different skill set to McKee. Milton has mobility, which he can use to escape the constant pressure that has been coming this year behind poor pass protection. McKee, far from a nimble quarterback, was sacked five times vs. the Washington Commander last Sunday.

The Eagles are hoping Milton's mobility and cannon arm can spark what has been an anemic offense.

Sirianni did acknowledge that McKee "played solid" in his three starts. McKee, who was Jalen Hurts' backup last season, completed 72 of 114 passes (63.2%) for 638 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

"That's always a difficult thing to think through. Because it isn't ever just on one person," Sirianni said. "But this is just what I felt what we had to do at this particular moment to give us the best chance to win this weekend."

Sirianni said he talked through the QB decision in "great, great detail" with general manager Howie Roseman and his offensive staff. But it was his call as the head coach.

"At the end of the day, I have to make the decision," Sirianni said.

Asked what changed from Monday, when he said McKee was "our guy," to Tuesday, when McKee said he was informed he was benched, Sirianni said: "You think through things. ... As you start to put ideas down, things are fluid."

The QB situation was certainly fluid earlier this week at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.

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