Joe Milton has spent the past few weeks learning a new offense after joining the Philadelphia Eagles from the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. Now, he has a much bigger responsibility ahead of him.
The Eagles have named Milton their starting quarterback for Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants. The 26-year-old will make his first NFL start after Philadelphia benched Tanner McKee following three consecutive losses.
Milton said Thursday that he had already been preparing for this kind of opportunity before leaving Dallas.
“You never know what can happen in NFL,” Milton said. “That's kind of how I took it… 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. And that's what NFL is about: just being ready when your name is called and just preparing for those moments. And I've been preparing and still preparing for the week.”
Milton joined Philadelphia on Oct. 16 after Jalen Hurts was placed on injured reserve. Although he has had only three weeks to learn offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's system, he believes its West Coast concepts are similar to the offense he played in as a rookie in New England.
Asked how much of the playbook he had learned, Milton laughed before responding, “Shoot, whatever’s in this week.”
The Eagles will need him to adjust quickly. Philadelphia has lost six straight games and sits at 2-6. Milton brings considerable arm strength and mobility, but his experience in Mannion's offense remains limited.