Joe Milton III is getting the call in Philadelphia.
According to ESPN’s Mike Garafolo and Adam Schefter on Wednesday afternoon, Milton will start at quarterback for the Eagles this weekend against the New York Giants. Tanner McKee is being benched after three starts, and the newly acquired Milton is stepping in.
The move comes during a rough stretch for Philadelphia, which sits at 2-6 and has dropped six in a row. Jalen Hurts was placed on IR on Oct. 17 after being diagnosed with blood clots in the lungs. Not long after that news broke, the Eagles brought Milton in from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.
Milton’s path to this opportunity has been anything but smooth. Over the offseason, he was in a quarterback competition with free agent addition Sam Howell, but he lost out on the job as Dak Prescott’s backup in Dallas.
The Cowboys waived Milton before the season, then brought him back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers. He never made Dallas’ active roster this year.
That wasn’t the first twist in his NFL journey. Milton was drafted by the Patriots before being traded to Dallas ahead of the 2025 season.
Last year, he backed up Prescott and saw limited action outside of a few garbage-time appearances. Plenty of people expected him to remain the No. 2 quarterback in Dallas this season, but the addition of Howell changed that picture.
Even without a clean runway, Milton did show some progress in the preseason. He played well in his first two preseason games, though his final outing left more to be desired. Overall, though, his time with the Cowboys pointed to real growth.
In three preseason games for Dallas, Milton threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns while completing 67.4% of his passes. He came off the bench in the opener and started the final two preseason contests.
Across two seasons, Milton has appeared in five games for the Patriots and Cowboys combined. In those outings, he has thrown for 424 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions on 69.8% passing.
Milton and the Eagles will face the Giants on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
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Joe Milton Just Landed The NFL Opportunity Tennessee Fans Waited For
Joe Milton is getting the kind of NFL chance Tennessee fans have been waiting to see, with the Philadelphia Eagles naming him their starter for Week 9 against the New York Giants. The move comes as the Eagles shuffle their quarterback room in the wake of injuries, and it puts the former Vol in line for his first NFL start after being selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft.
Milton had been behind Tanner McKee on the depth chart, but the Eagles are now turning to him in a difficult spot with Jalen Hurts out for the season. For Tennessee supporters, it is a familiar sight to see Milton finally handed a real stage, and this one arrives with the kind of pressure and visibility that can quickly change the way a young quarterback is viewed. [Read more 🡒]
Even A Former Alabama QB Thinks Tennessee Got Jobbed
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Amare Campbell Just Framed Tennessees Biggest Defensive Test Vs Kentucky
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Amare Campbell offered a glimpse into what the Volunteers are trying to sharpen most, talking about his confidence and the communication issues that can surface in loud road or rivalry-style settings. For Tennessee, the challenge is not just lining up correctly, but doing it with the kind of cohesion that holds up when the game gets chaotic, and this one feels like a useful measuring stick for that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]