The New England Patriots made an unexpected move on Thursday when they traded highly sought-after backup quarterback Joe Milton to the Dallas Cowboys. Milton, who was drafted alongside Drake Maye last season, had become a hot commodity due to his impressive collegiate career and solid performances in the preseason and late in the season when he drew a start.
With Maye emerging as the quarterback of the future in New England, the Patriots decided to trade Milton, who many teams viewed as a promising talent. In exchange, they received a fifth-round pick along with sending Milton and a seventh-round pick to the Cowboys.
However, Fox Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz revealed that the Cowboys weren't the only team interested in Milton. In fact, Dallas didn't even have the best offer from interested teams, but they chose to send Milton to a place out where he wanted to go.
Schultz also reported that four other teams made a move for Milton, and one of the most surprising suitors was the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Additionally, the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, and Pittsburgh Steelers also expressed interest, likely due to their ongoing quarterback needs this offseason.
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.
The #Patriots had a better offer for Milton but chose to send him where he wanted out of respect for… https://t.co/kNDFPA4yempic.twitter.com/iHKhmhRsCv
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 3, 2025
The Eagles recently traded backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns, leaving them with a less-than-ideal situation behind star QB Jalen Hurts. While Hurts remains the unquestioned leader of the offense after guiding the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia's depth behind him is lacking.
Currently, the Eagles have Dorian Thompson-Robinson, acquired in the Pickett trade, and Tanner McKee as the two quarterbacks backing up Hurts. Despite the rumors, Jordan Shultz did not provide specifics on when exactly the Eagles' interest in Joe Milton became apparent.
Related: BREAKING: Dak Prescott's Cowboys Trade For 6-5 QB Joe Milton
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This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 8:25 AM.