The Dallas Cowboys are eyeing a sensational trade move for Patriots sixth round pick Joe Milton III to give Dak Prescott competition.

Dak Prescott and Joe Milton III (Image via IMAGO)

Jerry Jones likes to play hardball during free agency, but occasionally pulls a rabbit out of his bag of tricks. There’s a piece of floating news on social media that the Dallas Cowboys are discussing filling the No. 2 quarterback spot behind Dak Prescott. It’s the New England Patriots QB Joe Milton III.

In a recent segment of NFL Live, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler broke the news about the Cowboys’ interest in Milton.
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One team to potentially watch for is the Dallas Cowboys because they are looking for a good backup, a young backup, with upside that they may not get in the draft. Maybe they get [Milton] in a trade.

Jeremy Fowler said via X

Prescott is currently the only quarterback left in the Cowboys locker room. Trey Lance’s place on the roster has been in contention since he signed for the team in 2023. After failing to make an impression, Jones and the Cowboys released the former first-round pick following the 2024 season.

Then came the turn of longtime backup Cooper Rush. The undrafted free agent spent seven seasons in Arlington in two spells before signing a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

From an undrafted rookie wearing #7 to an eight-year veteran wearing #10, I appreciated every moment in a Cowboys uniform. Thank you, Dallas, for all of the love that you showed to me and my family. I’m excited for the next chapter but forever grateful for the first one.

Cooper Rush’s farewell message to the Cowboys fans

Rush’s departure surprised many. The 31-year-old took over from Prescott when he picked up an injury. He started eight games and posted a 4-4 record in 2024 (7-10 overall Cowboys record).

Patriots’ asking price for Joe Milton III

Despite finishing bottom of the AFC East with just four wins, the Patriots found their future franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. So, they decided to make Joe Milton III available for trade.
Joe Milton III (Image via IMAGO)
According to NFL insider Tony Grossi, the Patriots want a third-round pick in exchange for the former sixth-rounder who showed promise in limited game time.
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The Patriots’ intention became even more clear after they signed former Cardinals and 49ers quarterback Joshua Dobbs to a 2-year, $8 million deal.

Now the question is: will Jones agree to give up a third-round pick for a quarterback whose NFL tape consists of just 22 passes? Milton is essentially a rookie, and trading a third for an unproven quarterback isn’t exactly Jones’ style.
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To put it into context, the Cowboys gave the 49ers a fourth-round pick in exchange for Lance, who was drafted third overall in 2021. One might argue his injuries devalued his market, but he still had eight games under his belt with the team from California.

Cowboys aren’t the only NFL team keeping tabs on Joe Milton III

Milton became the talk of the NFL during the Patriots’ final game, completing 75% of his passes and two overall touchdowns. One of the teams that kept a keen interest in the former Tennessee Volunteer is the Cleveland Browns.

Grossi, in one of his articles, discussed the possibility of Milton playing for the Browns in 2025, but the high draft pick is deterring them from making a move. Moreover, the Browns hold the second overall pick, and according to draft specialist Daniel Jeremiah, they are locked to select ex-Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Former Browns QB Brian Hoyer, on the other hand, urged the Browns to sign Milton.

I would take Joe Milton over any of the QBs in the draft. When you watch the tape, if he was in this draft, he would be in the talks to be the number one QB.

Bryan Hoyer said on 92.3 The Fan

Cowboys might eye a quarterback in the draft

There’s every chance that the Cowboys miss out on Milton or they threw their name into the hat to test the waters because they can always draft a quarterback. Jones usually doesn’t draft a rookie QB in the first round, so a late second or early third-round pick would suffice. One name that stood out was Texas’ Quinn Ewers.

If it’s someone, like, Quinn Ewers in the second round? A quarterback who’s really talented—they know well—might not have to play for a couple of years, but in three years, might ended up being someone who’s surely talented enough to be the starter.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said

Dallas holds the #44 and the #73 picks. They could end up using either of them and take a rookie quarterback to back up the 31-year-old Prescott. The Cowboys can easily take the former Texas Longhorns QB by using either one of the two.

Ewers is 22 this year, and by the time Prescott’s $60 million/year contract runs out, he will have enough league experience to take over as the starter for the ‘Americas team.’