The Dallas Cowboys have a new backup quarterback for Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys acquired Joe Milton III and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick (No. 217) in a trade with the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2025 fifth-rounder (No. 171), NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday, per sources informed of the situation.
The Patriots later officially announced the trade.
Milton, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, flashed a big arm and unique playmaking last preseason. He put that upside on display in Week 18, completing 22 of 29 passes (75.9%) for 241 yards and a touchdown and adding 16 rushing yards with a TD and a fumble in a win over the Buffalo Bills. The victory dropped the Pats from No. 1 overall to the No. 4 slot in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With Drake Maye, the franchise starter, and veteran Joshua Dobbs, who signed as the backup, Milton was the odd man out in New England. Now, the former Michigan and Tennessee quarterback will get a fresh start behind Prescott.
Maye and Dobbs currently sit as the lone passers on New England's roster, which likely means the Pats will add a camp arm at some point this offseason -- either a rookie or journeyman.
The Cowboys had a need behind Prescott after Cooper Rush signed in Baltimore, leaving Will Grier as the lone backup signal-caller on the roster. The trade is a clear indicator that the Trey Lance experiment went awry.
Given that Dallas traded a fourth-rounder for Lance, a former first-round pick, to throw 41 total passes, the late-round pick-swap compensation for Milton is peanuts.
Milton is a talented but raw prospect who could be an interesting play should Prescott, who started just eight games in 2024, suffer another injury. At the very least, Milton will make Cowboys preseason games significantly more entertaining.
