The Pittsburgh Steelers “showed interest” in a Joe Milton trade prior to the New England Patriots’ deal with the Dallas Cowboys, per FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
“My understanding is since Joe Milton became available at the start of the offseason, teams that showed interest included the [Las Vegas] Raiders, [Philadelphia] Eagles, [New York] Giants, Steelers and the Cowboys,” Schultz reported on April 3, following the Milton trade news.
The insider added that “the Patriots had a better offer for Milton but chose to send him where he wanted out of respect for him, per source.”
Could that better offer have been from Pittsburgh? Although there’s no way of knowing for sure, it is somewhat questionable why Milton would choose the Cowboys over the Steelers if they had a similar offer on the table — let alone more.
On April 2, Mass Live reporter Mark Daniels wrote that “a source close to the quarterback said Milton would prefer to be on a roster that best gives him a chance to compete for the starting job.”
And yet, Dallas is quarterbacked by Dak Prescott — a recent MVP candidate who is one of the highest-paid signal-callers in the league.
On the flip side, the Steelers currently have Mason Rudolph as their presumptive starter. And even if they do sign Aaron Rodgers as many expect they will, the 41-year-old is much more of an injury risk and overall question mark than Prescott.
Needless to say, with the Cowboys landing Milton for a late-round pick swap — sending a 2025 fifth rounder for Milton and a 2025 seventh rounder — a contingent of Steelers fans will no doubt be curious how much Pittsburgh actually offered the Patriots for the intriguing dual threat.
NFL Insider Reveals Why Joe Milton Chose Cowboys Trade Over Steelers, Other Suitors
After the trade was announced, Schultz shared some intel straight from the horse’s mouth on why Milton chose the Cowboys.
“My family grew up a Cowboys fan,” Milton exclusively told Schultz. “My mom always had a Cowboys shirt on. She always talked about them.”
The 25-year-old QB also added that “living in Texas has been a longtime dream of mine. And now I’m with them. I’m ready to work.”
It’s important to note that at this point of the offseason, a QB2 job was also probably the best Milton could get, considering few starting gigs are thought to be available. Having said that, the Steelers are one of the few teams who remain in flux.
Perhaps, Milton will get a prolonged chance to play in Dallas due to injury before the end of his rookie contract. At the very least, that would allow him to showcase his game before he eventually hits the open market in NFL free agency.
