The Philadelphia Eagles went to a division rival’s practice squad for quarterback help. Philadelphia signed Joe Milton off the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad Friday, one day after ruling Jalen Hurts out for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Tanner McKee is taking over as the starter for the 2-3 Eagles.
Why the Eagles needed another quarterback
Hurts has a superficial blood clot in his calf. Doctors cleared him to play in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but a follow-up ultrasound Wednesday showed movement in the clot. The team says he’ll be out while it determines a course of treatment, with no set return date.
That left the Eagles thin. They released Andy Dalton last week, and the only quarterback behind McKee was rookie Cole Payton, a fifth-round pick from North Dakota State. Under league rules, a team that signs a player off another club’s practice squad must keep him on its roster for at least three weeks.
Philadelphia has wanted him before
The Eagles were among the teams that tried to trade for Milton in the spring of 2025, but the New England Patriots sent him to Dallas instead. Afterward, Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard said a Patriots source described Milton as “not a good dude.” Bedard said the concern was whether Milton would accept a backup role and fit into the quarterback room.
A big arm from Michigan and Tennessee
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Milton is 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, and he ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash before the 2024 draft. He was born in Pahokee, Florida, played at Olympia High School in Orlando and is a cousin of former NFL receiver Anquan Boldin.
He started his college career at Michigan, then transferred to Tennessee, where he spent two seasons behind Hendon Hooker. When Hooker tore his ACL late in 2022, Milton took over and was named MVP of the Orange Bowl after throwing for 251 yards and three touchdown passes against Clemson. He threw for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdown passes as the full-time starter in 2023.
His NFL résumé is short
New England drafted Milton in the sixth round in 2024. In his only extended action as a rookie, he went 22 of 29 for 241 yards with a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18. Dallas traded a fifth-round pick for him and a seventh in April 2025, and he threw for 183 yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions in four games as Dak Prescott’s backup.
The Cowboys waived him at final cuts this year, and after he cleared waivers, he returned to their practice squad. The Eagles face the Cowboys on Oct. 26.
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