The Philadelphia Eagles are making a change at quarterback. ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on that Tanner McKee is out as the starter, and Joe Milton is in. Eagles fans have been asking for this move for a while now.

Philadelphia is in a tough spot. The Eagles are riding a 6-game losing streak, and Jalen Hurts won’t be walking through that door. Hurts was diagnosed with blood clots and will miss the rest of the season. That left the keys to McKee, and he just hasn’t been good enough.

View on Threads

Tanner McKee didn’t live up to the offseason hype

For all the talk this offseason about McKee, it hasn’t translated to the field. Some believed he could fetch a second-round pick in a trade. Others believed he could be a starting quarterback elsewhere in the NFL.

We’ve watched him ever since Hurts went out of the lineup, and he hasn’t looked the part.

To be fair to McKee, the losing streak isn’t all on him. The defense hasn’t lived up to expectations, and injuries on offense have made life harder for everyone involved. But the quarterback play simply hasn’t been good enough, and the Eagles’ coaching staff clearly agrees.

So the question becomes, what does Philadelphia actually get with Milton under center?

What ‘Bazooka Joe’ brings to the Eagles offense

You have to go back to Week 18 of the 2024 season against the Buffalo Bills to see Milton in extended action. Quite frankly, it was a strong performance.

That’s one game, and I’m not going to pretend it tells the whole story. But it showed what Milton can do when things click, and it’s a big reason why fans have been clamoring to see more of him.

The knock on Milton has always been accuracy. If he could consistently hit the broadside of a barn, he would be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Maybe he’s made progress there. Maybe his accuracy, ball location, and anticipation have gotten much better this year. For now, we wait and see.

What we do know is the athletic and dual-threat ability he brings to the table. His arm strength is also second to none. Very few quarterbacks in the league can make the throws Milton makes when he lets it rip, and that alone gives the offense a different look than it had with McKee.

Why the move makes sense even if the season is slipping away

It feels like the Eagles’ season is over, and it very well may be. Six straight losses with your franchise quarterback out for the year is a hole that few teams climb out of.

But at least Philadelphia is injecting some excitement and anticipation into the quarterback position. Milton brings new blood to an offense that desperately needs a spark. Even if the wins don’t come, the Eagles get a real look at what they have in a big-armed quarterback with legitimate upside.

The way I see it, this move is long overdue. Bazooka Joe is about to be unleashed in Philadelphia, and it’s an intriguing roll of the dice for a team that has nothing left to lose. If the accuracy has caught up to the arm, the Eagles could find out they have something worth building around.