Joe Milton III finally got his first NFL start of the season, and the result was a rough one for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pressed into action after a health issue for Jalen Hurts and a pair of starts from Tanner McKee, Milton took over under center Sunday against the New York Giants. Philadelphia couldn’t get enough going on offense and fell 19-11 at home in a divisional loss that dropped the Eagles to 2-7.
Milton’s stat line showed both the arm talent and the chaos that came with his first start for Philadelphia. He finished 18 of 34 for 169 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. On the ground, he led the team with nine carries for 64 yards, but he was also sacked seven times for a loss of 41 yards.
Before landing in Philadelphia, Milton’s path to this moment took plenty of turns. He began his six-year college career at Michigan, where his biggest run came in 2020, when he threw for 1,077 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
After that season, he entered the transfer portal and moved to Tennessee as Josh Heupel took over in 2021. Milton arrived in a quarterback room that included Hendon Hooker and Harrison Bailey, won the initial battle over Hooker, and then lost the job after leaving the Pitt game in Week 2 with an injury. Hooker handled the position from there.
Milton remained in Knoxville as Hooker’s backup in 2022, and when Hooker tore his ACL in the penultimate game of the regular season, Milton stepped in and guided Tennessee to an Orange Bowl win.
He then opened 2023 as Tennessee’s starter and played all 12 regular-season games, completing 64.7% of his passes for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. That season led to his selection by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Milton started this year on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad before the Eagles signed him following Hurts’ health issue. On Sunday, he got his first real shot in Philadelphia.
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Joe Miltons First Eagles Start Raised A Tough Question For Vols Fans
Joe Milton III got his first NFL start for the Philadelphia Eagles because Jalen Hurts was sidelined by injury, and it offered Tennessee fans a familiar face in an unfamiliar spot. The former Volunteers quarterback was thrust into the spotlight against the New York Giants, where he showed the same big-arm tools that made him such an intriguing pro prospect while also taking on the full weight of a starting assignment.
Milton finished 18 of 34 for 169 yards and added 64 rushing yards on nine carries, but the outing also came with seven sacks and a fumble in a loss for Philadelphia. For Vols fans, the bigger question now is whether this was just a one-game detour or the start of a longer run, since it is still unclear if Milton will keep the job for the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]