Jerry Jones Dallas Cowboys
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Jerry Jones Dallas Cowboys
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.