The Philadelphia Eagles are making a quarterback switch in Week 9, and the move puts Joe Milton in line for his first NFL start.
With Jalen Hurts sidelined for the year because of blood clots, and with DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley missing time every other week, Philadelphia’s 2026 season has gone sideways. At 2-6, the Eagles are staring at a rough road ahead, and the team is now taking a look at whether it has a long-term backup for Hurts already on the roster.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Tanner McKee is being benched and Milton will start Sunday against the New York Giants.
A QB change in Philadelphia: the Eagles are naming Joe Milton their starting QB and benching Tanner McKee for Sunday’s game vs. the Giants, per @mikegarafolo and me. pic.twitter.com/kVkMqLmUb4
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2026
Milton’s path to this moment has been a winding one. He entered the league as a sixth-round pick, No. 193 overall, by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That pick originally belonged to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who dealt it to New England in the Mac Jones trade. The Patriots later moved Milton to the Dallas Cowboys before the 2025 NFL Draft.
His biggest NFL action so far came in New England’s 2024 season finale, when he played most of the game and turned in a sharp showing against Buffalo. Milton completed 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, good for 75.9% completions, in a 23-16 win over the Bills.
Now he gets the first start of his NFL career. The Eagles and Giants are set to kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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