FRISCO, Texas — When the Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles for Monday Night Football, things won’t at all look as originally predicted. Joe Milton, for example, has been poached by the Eagles from the Cowboys’ practice squad, guaranteeing him a chance to play against his former team.
Milton must now be added to the Eagles active 53-man roster for a minimum of three games, placing him on a collision course with the Cowboys when Week 7 arrives.
The news landed only one day after the Eagles were forced to rule franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts out indefinitely after discovering a superficial blood clot in his leg. With Hurts’ timeline still very much in the air, Tanner McKee will get the initial nod at starting quarterback — Milton set to compete with both McKee and rookie quarterback Cole Payton.
The move leaves a vacancy on the practice squad that the Cowboys will need to fill with another quarterback to give them an emergency arm behind Dak Prescott and his immediate backup, Sam Howell.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for Joe,” said head coach Brian Schottenheimer. “It didn’t catch me by surprise. Everyone’s aware of what’s going on with Jalen. They recognize [Joe] as a young man with incredible talent. I think the world of Joe.
“I’m sad to see him go, but I hope he gets every opportunity.”
Milton entered this year’s training camp with a mission to prove he could be QB2 in Dallas and, by most accounts, he did exactly that. His practices in Oxnard pushed Howell to the limit, as did his play in the first two preseason contests, before faltering in the preseason finale en route to discovering Howell had been given the nod.
The Cowboys waived Milton during final roster cutdowns in late August, but re-signed him to the practice squad once he cleared waivers. The 26-year-old originally arrived in Dallas by way of 2025 trade that grabbed him from the New England Patriots that also included a swap of 2025 draft picks.
There is a chance Milton and the Cowboys will square off on Oct. 26, making things that much more intriguing in a wide open and unpredictable NFC East.
