Former Tennessee football starter Joe Milton making first start for Eagles

Former Tennessee football quarterback Joe Milton will start his first NFL game for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants on November 8, according to ESPN's report on November 4. McKee, who has started and lost the last three games for Philadelphia, has been replaced by Milton, who will be the third different starter for the Eagles this season.

Milton was signed by the Eagles from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad on September 2 and activated to the team's 53-man roster on October 16 after Jalen Hurts was ruled out for the season due to superficial blood clots in both lungs. During the preseason with Dallas, Milton performed strongly, completing 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

He lost a competition for the backup job in training camp but was later added to the practice squad. Milton, who played for Tennessee from 2021 to 2023, was a sixth-round pick by the Patriots in 2024 and played his rookie season in New England before being traded to Dallas in April 2025. In his appearances with the Patriots and Dallas, Milton completed a combined 37 of 53 passes for 424 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions.

Prior to his NFL career, Milton was the Orange Bowl MVP for Tennessee in 2022 and started in 16 of his 29 appearances for the Volunteers. He passed for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, and five interceptions, along with rushing for 505 yards and nine touchdowns.