Eagles news roundup: Nick Sirianni defends handling of QB change, DeVonta Smith out

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to take on the New York Giants after a week of preparation for the Week 9 showdown.

It has already been quite the week in Philly with a quarterback change and uncertainty with injuries on the squad. With a 2-6 record, the Eagles are just hoping to either save their season against their NFC East rivals or see their season crumble before their eyes.

What has been going on the last few days in Philly that Eagles fans should know? Here's a look at some of the top news stories from the second half of the week.

1. Nick Sirianni defends himself on how Eagles handled QB change
2. DeVonta Smith ruled out againts the Giants in Week 9
3. Saquon Barkley is good to play against the Giants
4. Joe Milton III on taking over starting QB job in Philly
5. Eagles quietly release Dameon Pierce after being removed from IR

Nick Sirianni defends himself on how Eagles handled QB change

There were certainly a lot of conversations about how the Eagles handled the quarterback change from Tanner McKee to Joe Milton III. One day before the report that Milton would be the starter, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told the media that McKee was their guy.

This handling of the situation came up during Friday's press conference with Sirianni, where the timeline was unclear, with some players saying they didn't know. In contrast, others said they knew minutes before the report came out. Sirianni made it clear that they wanted to keep the change from the public as long as possible.

“Every second that goes by in a situation like that, that 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 said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "I know there's a lot of interest in everything that you all want to hear, the fans want to hear. My job is to win football games.”

DeVonta Smith ruled out againts the Giants in Week 9

In a tale as old as time, DeVonta Smith is one of the six Eagles players ruled out for the Week 9 Giants game in the final injury report. Smith will be missing his fifth game of the season with a hamstring injury.

Joining Smith among the key players missing the Week 9 game are Dontayvion Wicks and Jihaad Campbell. Here are all six players who will not be playing in the contest:

• DeVonta Smith, WR (Hamstring)
• Dontavyion Wicks, WR (Ankle)
• Jihaad Campbell, LB (Hamstring/Quad)
• Michael Carter, S (Abdomen)
• Britain Covey, WR (Knee)
• Jonathan Jones, CB (Hamstring)

Saquon Barkley is good to play against the Giants

The same injury report also said the good news was that running back Saquon Barkley was cleared to play against his old team, the Giants. After missing two games this season, Barkley has returned and will play his second game with his hamstring and back injuries.

The Eagles have had Barkley on a snap count, and that is the expectation once again against the Giants. He will be splitting carries with Elijah Mitchell in the backfield.

Joe Milton III on taking over starting QB job in Philly

For the first time since being named the starting quarterback, Milton had a chance to speak with the media about how the last week has been. Just three weeks ago, he was signed to the practice squad after news broke that Jalen Hurts was out for the season with blood clots that traveled from his calf to his lungs.

Milton talked about the last three weeks of being the backup and what this moment feels like for him. He shared the hard work that went into this.

"You never know what can happen in NFL," Milton said via Berman. That's kind of how I took it. Yes, I was on the practice squad, and I was just preparing for any moment that presents itself. Still, when I was at Dallas on practice squad, I was just pretty much going through the plays, going through the week like I was a starter or like I was playing, and just being ready. And that's what NFL is about: just being ready when your name is called and just preparing for those moments. And I've been preparing and still preparing for the week."

"Just be where my feet is. Smile. I love seeing people around me smile, so just making sure everyone around me (is) smiling. ...Whatever the play call comes through my helmet, just call that play and execute."

Read more: Nolan Smith Jr. can solve Eagles' biggest dilemma in Week 9 Giants showdown

Eagles quietly release Dameon Pierce after being removed from IR

An interesting piece of news came in on the NFL's transaction wire from the Eagles, but the team decided not to post it anywhere. NBC Sports Philly's Dave Zangaro pointed out that the Eagles reached an injury settlement with running back Dameon Pierce, who was removed from IR and released by the team.

Pierce got injured in the Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and was placed on IR. He finished his Eagles tenure with 37 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns, and caught seven passes for 11 yards.

Philly called on Pierce to start some games after Barkley, Will Shipley, and Tank Bigsby were all injured at one point. The Eagles will now be rolling with Barkley, Elijah Mitchell, and Jaydon Blue at running back.

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