Joe Milton Makes His First NFL Start as Eagles Host Giants
Joe Milton will start at quarterback for the Eagles against the Giants on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field. It is the first start of his career and the third starting quarterback for the Eagles this season.
The Eagles are 2-6 and on a six-game losing streak. An offense averaging 17.1 points per game has held them back, and the Giants are favored by about three points on the road. After this game, the Eagles enter their Week 10 bye.
The change at quarterback followed a rough stretch. After Jalen Hurts was lost for the season with blood clots in his lungs, Tanner McKee started the last three games and lost all three. McKee practiced on a limited basis Friday and is questionable with a rib injury. Head coach Nick Sirianni explained the change to reporters on Friday.
Milton was signed off the Dallas practice squad on Oct. 16. A sixth-round pick in 2024, he played at Michigan and Tennessee, stands 6 feet 5 inches, weighs 236 pounds, and is 26 years old. In five games as a replacement, he completed 37 of 53 passes for 424 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
“This is a great opportunity,” Milton told the Eagles’ website. “I’m going to be ready on Sunday.”
Running back Saquon Barkley is available. He missed Wednesday’s practice with hamstring and back injuries and was limited Thursday and Friday, but he carries no game designation on the final injury report. A snap count is expected against his former team, with carries split with Elijah Mitchell.
The list of players out is long. DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), Jihaad Campbell (hamstring and quadriceps), Jonathan Jones (hamstring), Britain Covey (knee), and Michael Carter II (abdomen) will not play. Smith will not return until at least Week 11, after the bye.
For the Giants, Cam Skattebo is doubtful with a hamstring injury, and Devin Singletary would step in if he sits. Malik Nabers is cleared to play.
A win would end the six-game losing streak and send the Eagles into the bye on a positive note. Sunday’s weather in Philadelphia calls for partly cloudy skies, a high of 60 degrees, and no rain.
