The Philadelphia Eagles are uncharacteristically carrying four quarterbacks for now, although general manager Howie Roseman said he and the team would be open to it.
Roseman would not dive into much detail on who the front-runner is for the backup quarterback position behind Jalen Hurts. The GM did say that having multiple quarterbacks is a valuable asset for his team, alluding to how his former fifth-round pick last year, Kyle McCord, was recently traded from Green Bay to the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Was Roseman hinting at possibly following suit to try and gain an extra Day 3 pick for one of the two quarterbacks?
Could there be another option out there if he does in fact find a trade partner for one of the two QBs?
In some surprising news after the dust settled once the league announced all the waiver claims, the Dallas Cowboys waived backup quarterback Joe Milton.
The move comes as a surprise given the fact that the Cowboys spent some draft capital, albeit a Day 3 pick, to acquire the toolsy quarterback who spent last season as the backup to Prescott appearing in four games in mop-up duty.
Milton impressed during the preseason and seemed poised to be the backup to Dak Prescott. He played in all three preseason games and completed 29 of his 43 passes (67%) for 378 yards with no interceptions.
The 26-year-old was originally drafted by New England in the sixth round in 2024 out of Tennessee and was traded to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick last season.
He went 15-for-24 throwing the football for 183 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the limited playing time.
Milton has been known for his superior arm strength since his college days where his scouting report typically raved about having “special arm strength.” He wowed Volunteer fans with deep throws down the field resulting in electrifying touchdowns.
That arm strength continues to play at the NFL level and he showcased that skill set most prominently in a three-touchdown performance against the Arizona Cardinals in the second preseason game.
In addition, there has been clear improvement in Milton's game compared to last year, when he struggled mightily to run the offense and the Cowboys raved about the turnaround they saw from Milton.
Milton possesses plenty of athleticism at the position, something the Eagles are clearly intrigued by. They opted to keep Cole Payton, a dual-threat fifth-round pick out of North Dakota State in this year’s draft.
The Eagles also have been reportedly interested in Milton in previous years, checking in on the quarterback when he was with New England. He also has two years remaining on his rookie deal.
During his season with New England, Milton reportedly made his desire to be a starting quarterback clear and the team traded him to Dallas with head coach Mike Vrabel citing that it was “process of establishing team culture and the dynamic that ideally unfolds within each position group.”
Roseman and the Eagles rarely bring players in that would cause a distraction or shake up the tightly knit locker room.
Another knock on Milton is his lack of accuracy. While there is no questioning the power and velocity that he can put behind a football, being a successful quarterback in the NFL requires elite accuracy, something that Milton has struggled with throughout his career.
In 43 games in college, he completed 61.6% of his passes. In his small sample size as a pro, he owns a better mark at 69.8 completion percentage completing 37 of 53 passes in regular-season play with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Perhaps Milton requested to be released after being informed that former Eagle Sam Howell beat him out for the backup spot on the roster. Howell does have more experience as a starter in the NFL.
The quarterback very well could clear waivers and return to the Dallas practice squad.
With the lack of production both McKee and Dalton showed in the preseason forcing the Eagles to not make a concrete decision as to who will backup Hurts, it wouldn't be the worst idea for the Eagles to check in on the quarterback they were reportedly interested in at one point if he does slip to them in the waiver process.
