Eagles Bench Tanner McKee, Hand Joe Milton First NFL Start vs. Giants

The Philadelphia Eagles are turning to Joe Milton at quarterback. The team announced Wednesday that Milton will start Sunday against the New York Giants in Week 9, replacing Tanner McKee, who is winless in his three starts as Philadelphia has dropped six straight games and fallen to 2-6.

It is a stunning rise for a quarterback who began the season on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad. Philadelphia signed Milton away from Dallas in mid-October, shortly after Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ Week 1 starter, was diagnosed with blood clots and shelved indefinitely. Now the 26-year-old former sixth-round pick is the team’s third different starting quarterback of the season.

From Cowboys Practice Squad to Eagles QB1

Milton’s path to Philadelphia has been anything but linear. He started his college career at Michigan, where he appeared in 14 games with five starts and threw for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns before transferring to Tennessee. He became the Volunteers’ full-time starter in 2023, and the New England Patriots made him a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Known for a rocket arm and prototypical size, Milton made his mark in New England’s season finale that year, completing 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown and adding a rushing score in a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Dallas traded for him in April 2025, and he saw action in four games for the Cowboys that season, going 15-of-24 for 183 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. This summer he battled newly acquired Sam Howell for the backup job in Dallas. Milton shined in his first two preseason appearances, but he struggled against more complicated defensive looks in the preseason finale, and Howell won the role at final cuts. Milton was waived, landed back on the practice squad, and then got the call from Philadelphia. He wears number 14 in Philadelphia.

Why Philadelphia Pulled the Plug on McKee

McKee stepped in when Hurts went down and threw for 638 yards across three starts, with two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 76.6 passer rating. The Eagles lost all three of those games, extending a skid that has turned a season of expectations into a scramble for answers. The Eagles now sit at 2-6, while the Giants arrive atop the NFC East.

The oddsmakers are not giving Milton much of a cushion. The Giants opened as slight road favorites, and the latest lines at DraftKings have New York at -3.5 with the Eagles at +3.5, with a total near 46.5 points. Bettors weighing the matchup can check the current DraftKings promo code offer before locking in a play, since a new quarterback often moves the number as the week goes on.

A Thanksgiving Revenge Game on the Horizon

The move also sets up a juicy subplot. If Milton plays well, or even just better than McKee did, he stands to remain the Eagles’ starter in Week 12, when Philadelphia visits the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. That would put a quarterback Dallas waived at final cuts under center against his old team on one of the biggest stages in the sport.

Thanksgiving in Dallas has a long history of backups stealing the spotlight. Clint Longley and Jason Garrett are two names forever tied to holiday heroics for the Cowboys, and Milton would love to add his own chapter, even if it comes in the opposing uniform. Both teams have had seasons veer off course, but a national audience and a revenge narrative could give the annual matchup extra juice.

What Comes Next for Milton and the Eagles

First comes Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Milton will need to show he can handle the speed of the NFL game and protect the football, something that has been a question mark since his Cowboys days. His arm talent has never been in doubt, and Philadelphia’s skill players give him more to work with than he has had at most stops.

For an Eagles team buried in the standings, the next several weeks are as much an audition as a competition. Hurts remains sidelined while he treats his blood clots, and Philadelphia is evaluating its quarterback options for the stretch run. If Milton delivers on Sunday, the conversation around the position will change quickly. If he stumbles, the Eagles will have their answer, and the Thanksgiving revenge storyline could fizzle before it starts. Fans tracking how the fallout shapes the NFL futures market can also look at the FanDuel promo code page as the Week 9 lines continue to move.