Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Joe Milton is embracing the next-man-up mentality.
Milton starts for the Eagles on Sunday against the New York Giants, replacing Jalen Hurts, who is out for the year with an injury, and Tanner McKee, who lost three straight games while filling in for Hurts.
Milton—who joined the Eagles just three weeks ago—spoke to reporters Thursday about how his previous experience has prepared him for this moment.
“They just told me I was going to start this week,” Milton said. “I approached the week the same, and came in here, worked hard, and stayed late, got the plays like I always do for every week since I’ve been here. And it’s been going good so far.”
The Eagles signed Milton off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, where he had been since 2025, when Hurts was lost for the season due to blood clots. Backup Tanner McKee has gone 0–3 in relief of Hurts, going 72 of 114 passing for 638 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
“You never know what can happen in the NFL. That’s kind of how I took it. I was on the practice squad, and I was just preparing for any moment that presents itself,” he said of the transaction.
“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 the 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.”
The New England Patriots drafted Milton out of Tennessee in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Milton was regarded as a toolsy prospect with great athletic ability and an absolute cannon for an arm, but lacking the accuracy and touch needed to be a great quarterback.
Milton appeared in 1 game in relief of fellow rookie Drake Maye in the 2024 season, going 22 of 29 for 241 yards and a touchdown; he added 10 rushes for 16 yards and another score.
He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 and spent most of the year on the practice squad. He appeared in 4 games, going 15 of 24 for 183 yards and a touchdown, while throwing 2 interceptions. He rushed 5 times for 50 yards.
Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Oct. 4, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot. I’ve been through three organizations so far, on my third one, and I have learned three different offenses so far, and by three different coaches,” he said.
“Three different quarterback coaches as well. So, I feel like every coach coaches different. And it helps because it allows you to adapt at wherever you go, because some teams may use the same verbiage or terminology, but some teams may not. But you’ll understand what they’re saying because of how much information [you’ve taken] in so far over the years.”
Milton credited offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier with getting him up to speed on the playbook early in his time in Philadelphia.
He spent extra time in the facility learning the offense and the new terminology. His focus is simply executing the play that the coaching staff calls and doing his “one eleventh,” be it handing the ball off, keeping it himself, or throwing the ball.
A reporter asked Milton how much of the playbook he has internalized by now.
“Shoot, whatever is in this week,” he joked. “Now I pretty much know what the coaches told me so far, and what I have learned and studied. So it’s a rough estimate for the percentage, but I feel like I know what I need to know for sure.”
