What to Know About New Eagles Starting QB Joe Milton: ‘He’s a Real Good Athlete’
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Joe Milton (14) looks on after an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
The Eagles will have a new quarterback on Sunday.
Joe Milton will be the starter for Philadelphia against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Milton had been sitting on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, and now finds himself starting less than a month later. The Eagles signed Milton on Oct. 16, and in about a week he propelled over Cole Payton as the QB2.
Currently, the Eagles hold the fifth pick in the 2027 draft, and it is clear that this season may be in shambles. With that, the promotion of Milton is likely a Hail Mary shot that either plays out incredibly or the front office focuses on the draft.
Milton, a 26-year-old quarterback out of Tennessee, had an incredible final season with the Volunteers; however, in the NFL, he has only thrown 53 passes throughout the last three seasons. Milton was highly touted for his large frame and arm strength, along with solid mobility. The 6-foot-5, 236-pounder is elusive in the pocket, which will help an offense that has been giving up too many pressures this season.
The most impressive part of Milton is his arm.
“Have you seen his arm,” Jordan Mailata asked in the locker room on Wednesday. “It is a f***ing cannon — pardon my language.”
Seeing it in action is like a work of art. In fact, it has been measured that he can throw a football at upwards of 62 mph, which he did in the combine prior to the 2024 draft, when he was selected in the sixth round by the New England Patriots.
“It’s kind of perfect for a pass catcher,” Dallas Goedert said. “The balls that are in the air for a long time when you can think, those ones are the scariest ones. The ones that get on you and you just have to catch it, those are the easy ones. It seems like he’s been putting the ball in a good spot and I’m excited to see what he does Sunday.”
Milton, in his 53 career passes, has thrown two touchdowns and two interceptions, and has a completion percentage of 70%. Milton also has 15 rushes for a total of 66 yards and a touchdown. Over half of those passes came in the last week of the 2024 season, when Milton attempted 29 passes against the Buffalo Bills. Milton, albeit against a mostly backup Bills squad, completed 75% of his passes for over 240 yards and scored two touchdowns. On top of this, he had no turnovers, earning a 111.4 passer rating. He will make his first NFL start Sunday.
“He’s a real good athlete. That stands out,” Goedert said. “He’s got a cannon of an arm. [Wednesday] it seemed like he was really accurate, got through his reads good, made check downs when he needed. But it’ll be exciting for him to go out there. I know he’s excited to get on the field and play. Going to do whatever I can to help him succeed.”
While these numbers are not incredible, they do display both the potential and inconsistencies within his game.
“Him and [quarterbacks coach] Parks [Frazier] have spent a ton of time together, getting him caught up to speed,” head coach Nick Sirianni said on Milton Wednesday. “I know the developmental periods, those always help to be able to run our plays. But he works extremely hard. He is always in the building, doing the extra things, I like his progression.”
It is uncertain who Milton’s targets will be. DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, and Saquon Barkley were all absent from practice Wednesday. Landon Dickerson and Markel Bell appear to be ready against the Giants, so Milton will likely be protected by, at least what is left of, the Eagles’ starting offensive line from Week 1.
Nevertheless, Milton, or rather the loss of Hurts, offers the Eagles a clear opportunity to fold their season and focus on 2027. As previously mentioned, the Eagles currently hold the fifth pick in the 2027 draft; on top of this, they also have the second-longest losing streak in the NFL at six.
So, while Milton may not be a proven NFL quarterback, he holds the raw talent that players like Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson possess, and it is simply down to his progression on where he lands on the “raw talent” totem pole.
With this, it is clear that Milton’s promotion as the starter in Week 9 is a sign that the Eagles wish to maximize potential output, and Milton has the potential to be great and is given no risk of ruining what is already a broken season.
Isaac Baranski
Isaac is a high school senior who currently attends the Hun School of Princeton. In his free time, he has many interests, but most of all is his love for Philadelphia sports. He has watched the 76ers since the days of Sam Hinkie and hopes to watch the process be completed. He has also watched the Phillies since the days of Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and the great crew, and hopes to see Red October finally achieve its goal. Along with that, he picked up a love for the Philadelphia Union shortly before the pandemic and has seen them win multiple Supporters’ Shields in person. Lastly, and most importantly, he is a major football lover and an even bigger Eagles lover. Since developing his love for The Birds in elementary school, he has made it his goal to never miss a game.
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