The Dallas Cowboys finally have a new backup quarterback behind Dak Prescott. Dallas has been in the market for a veteran quarterback after Cooper Rush signed with the Baltimore Ravens in NFL free agency.
After weeks of NFL rumors, the Cowboys struck a trade with the New England Patriots for 6-foot-5 quarterback Joe Milton. The former standout Tennessee Volunteers signal-caller is now headed to Big D. Dallas is landing Milton for essentially a late-round pick swap.
“The Patriots are trading QB Joe Milton III and a seventh-round pick to Dallas in exchange for a fifth rounder, per source,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini detailed in an April 3, 2025, message on X. “Milton drew interest from multiple teams but ends up with the Cowboys.”
Milton has had limited opportunities with the New England Patriots given the emergence of Drake Maye. The Patriots selected Milton in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft with the No. 193 overall pick.
New Cowboys QB Joe Milton Had Been Given Permission by the Patriots to Seek a Trade
All indications are this quarterback trade had been in the works for some time. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reported that the Patriots had given Milton permission to seek a trade. The Cowboys were able to land Milton over other interested NFL teams.
“My understanding is the Patriots recently gave QB Joe Milton III permission to seek a trade and the Cowboys were the team that showed the most interest from the start,” Schultz noted in an April 3, message on X. “A deal has been in the works for a number of weeks now, and finally got done early this morning.”
The news likely spells the end of the Trey Lance era with the Cowboys. Milton threw for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and 5 interceptions while completing 64.7% of his passes during his final college football season at Tennessee in 2023. The dual-threat quarterback also added 299 rushing yards and seven TDs on the ground.
The Cowboys Did Not Have the Best Trade Offer for QB Joe Milton: Insider
According to Schultz, the Cowboys did not have the best offer, but the Patriots opted to trade Milton to the destination of his choosing. Two NFC East foes were in the Milton sweepstakes as well. The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants were also linked to trade talks for the quarterback.
“My understanding is since Joe Milton became available at the start of the offseason, teams that showed interest included the Raiders, Eagles, Giants, Steelers and the Cowboys,” Schultz added. “The Patriots had a better offer for Milton but chose to send him where he wanted out of respect for him, per source.”
It is a wise move for the Cowboys given Prescott is coming off season-ending surgery to repair a hamstring injury. Heading into the 2024 draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein praised Milton’s arm strength but also pointed to some of the holes in the quarterback’s game.
“Rare physical specimen with the proverbial ‘arm talent to make all the NFL throws,’ but he’s prevented from doing so by a lack of timing, accuracy and touch,” Zierlein wrote in Milton’s pre-draft profile. “Milton is gifted with a cannon for a right arm and can throw the ball as hard or as far as you want.
“His fastballs are often inaccurate and difficult to catch for moving targets, and he was wildly inconsistent locating his deep throws. He can elude pressure, extend plays and put jaw-dropping highlights on tape, but he’s never been able to mature his game from splashy to consistent.”
