How New Eagles Qb Joe Milton Is Preparing For Unlikely First Career Start

How new Eagles QB Joe Milton is preparing for unlikely first career start originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

A few weeks ago, Joe Milton was in meetings and film study with Dak Prescott and former Eagle Sam Howell in the Cowboys’ quarterback room at the team facility in Frisco, Texas.

Now he’s the Eagles’ starting quarterback.

It’s been a weird year.

“You never know what can happen in the NFL,” Milton said after practice Thursday. “Yes, I was on the practice squad and I was just preparing for any moment that presents itself. Still, when I was at Dallas on the practice squad, I was just pretty much going through the plays, going through the week like I was a starter 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.”

The Eagles signed Milton off the Cowboys’ practice squad on Oct. 16, and on Sunday – 23 days later and after just 10 practices – he’ll make his first NFL start against the Giants at the Linc.

“My coaches here, Parks (Frazier) and Sean (Mannion), did a great job of getting me caught up early,” Milton said. “And I spent a lot of time inside the building just trying to learn this offense and the communication aspect of it. 

“It’s a lot of new terminology for me, so being in my third offense, just trying to plug and play and go from there. … Just executing whatever the play call is that comes through my helmet. Just call that play and execute. Know my job. Know my 1/11^th. Do my 1/11^th, and make a play.”

Milton spent 2024 with the Patriots playing in Alex Van Pelt’s offense then joined the Cowboys last year playing under Klayton Adams. 

A lot of learning, a lot of new schemes, new coaches, new teammates. Just constant change for the 26-year-old Milton.

“It’s just a whole new offense,” Milton said. “I just came from my previous team, and a lot of stuff was just different. So coming here was just pretty much learning a whole new system of the West Coast and just going with that. 

“Kind of go back to my rookie year, rookie year offense.”

The Eagles were 2-3 this year under Jalen Hurts, now out for the season with blood clots, and 0-3 under Tanner McKee, benched this week for Milton. 

This will be the first season since 2002 where the Eagles will start three different quarterbacks in meaningful games. In 2002, Donovan McNabb started the first 10 games, before breaking his right leg vs. the Cards at the Linc, Koy Detmer started vs. the 49ers at Candlestick but suffered a dislocated elbow and A.J. Feeley started the next five games before McNabb returned for the final two regular-season games and the playoffs. 

Asked what people who haven’t seen him play – which is pretty much everybody – should expect, Milton didn’t talk about his mobility or his rocket-cannon arm, he just spoke about playing disciplined football within the scheme.

“Doing what the coach asks, going out there and whatever play is called, just going out there and executing that play, and nothing else matters in the world except for that play,” he said. “So whatever it takes, whatever the team needs me to do, that’s what I’m willing to do. If I have to run, if I have to throw or hand it off, it’s perfect.”

Milton hasn’t started a game although he played most of a win against the Bills for the Patriots on the final day of the 2024 season, throwing for one touchdown and running for another. He got into four games with the Cowboys last year – all in mop-up duty late in blowout losses – and threw a touchdown and two INTs.

In parts of five games with the Patriots and Cowboys, he’s completed 37 of 53 passes (70 percent) for 424 yards with two TDs and two INTs with a 90.4 passer rating.

Milton is the first quarterback who’ll start for the Eagles after not being here on opening day since Ken O’Brien in 1993. He’s the first former Cowboy to start at quarterback for the Eagles since Rodney Peete in 1995. He’s the third NFL QB to make his first career start this year, following Jalon Daniels of the Buccaneers and Joe Fagnano of the Ravens.

“I approach the week the same,” he said. “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.”

Milton said his 1-year-old daughter, Maleia, helps keep him grounded when things are kind of nutty.

Like now.

“I mean, I always (want to) be where my feet are,” he said. “My daughter does a great job of reminding me of that. Yes, she can’t talk yet, but at the same time, when I see her face, it just allows me to be thankful. So when I see her every night on FaceTime, I’m just thankful. It allows me to take a deep breath and remember where I’m at. And being where my feet are is probably the best thing because you think too far and you never know what (can) happen.”