Joe Milton on his first start: The NFL is about being ready when your number is called

Published November 5, 2026 08:34 PM Joe Milton has never started an NFL game. The closest he came was in Week 18 of the 2024 season when Patriots starter Drake Maye played only three snaps before giving way to Milton, who played the final 61 snaps.Milton looked like a starting NFL quarterback in that game, completing 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown.Less than two years later, Milton is on his third team and has played only 51 snaps in four appearances with Dallas since.He will make his first career start on Sunday when the Eagles play the Giants.“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,” Milton said Thursday, via Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “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 after they placed Jalen Hurts on injured reserve due to blood clots. Tanner McKee started the past three games, but went 0-3 as the Eagles ran their losing streak to six games.Milton has had a crash course in learning the playbook and the terminology, which he said reminds him of the West Coast scheme he had in New England his rookie season.Milton was asked how much of the Eagles’ playbook he knows.“Shoot, whatever’s in this week,” he said with a laugh.