Friday, October 16, 2026
68 ° Rain
68 ° Rain
With backup quarterback Tanner McKee set to take first-team snaps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6, the Eagles added some signal-calling insurance on Friday afternoon by signing QB Joe Milton off the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad.
The 26-year-old arrives in Philadelphia with five NFL contests under his belt, split between the New England Patriots (one game) and the Dallas Cowboys (four contests). If head coach Nick Sirianni has to turn to a newly arriving quarterback against Carolina, things have likely gone sour on South Broad Street for the third consecutive weekend.
Milton was selected by the Patriots with the 193rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after four college seasons split between the Michigan Wolverines (2018-2020) and the Tennessee Volunteers (2021-23). His time in Michigan was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a brief starting role in the pandemic-shortened season. Upon donning the orange in Tennessee, he started in 16 contests and won the MVP for the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl after a three-touchdown performance in a 31-14 beatdown of Clemson on December, 30, 2022.
New England acquired the 2024 NFL Draft's sixth-round pick by sending former starting signal-caller Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rookie started his career as a third-string QB behind Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye at the start of the 2024 season. In his lone appearance for New England during the 2024 campaign, Milton completed 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards in a 23-16 win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18.
In April 2025, Dallas traded a 2025 fifth-round pick to New England for the young QB (and a 2025 seventh-round pick). He appeared in four games for Dallas during the 2025 campaign, finishing with 183 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. After 18 months in Big D, the newest Eagles QB trades ugly Navy Blue for pristine Midnight Green as the Eagles get set to host Carolina at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday afternoon.
Things in South Philadelphia have been anything but sunny following heartbreaking back-to-back losses over the last two weeks. Things got even worse for Birds fans yesterday after the team announced an injury list longer than a CVS receipt, including Jalen Hurts. The Eagles' starting QB missed practice on Thursday after the team revealed that he has a superficial blood clot in his leg that will keep him out of action in Week 6.
The former Super Bowl MVP will be joined on the sidelines by several teammates, including running backs Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley, as the Birds look to navigate a difficult early-season stretch. If nothing else, the move provides an additional QB option to turn to if the Eagles' campaign continues to spiral out of control before Halloween arrives in South Philly.
MORE: 5 reasons to still ride with the Eagles in 2026.
