The Dallas Cowboys have a new quarterback. Before anyone starts to panic, though, the new QB is not immediately going to replace Dak Prescott. At least, that is the assumption.
Various media outlets reported on Thursday that the Cowboys made a move to add Joe Milton III from the New England Patriots. The cost was a late-round 2025 draft choice—in other words, it was not overly expensive.
Milton has flashed good potential, but only in one game in 2024. He was also playing against backups in a meaningless game at the end of the year. How well he fits in Dallas is anyone's guess. (Though, let's hope he is better than Trey Lance turned out to be.)
Winners and losers from the Dallas Cowboys trading for Joe Milton III
Winner - Joe Milton
Milton is a winner here because he was likely never to find his way to playing consistently with the Patriots. He entered the league the same year as Drake Maye, and Maye showed flashes of being quite good last season. Just imagine how good he might be once the Pats get a decent offensive line and a few receiving weapons.
But now Milton will be part of the Cowboys, who have a tenuous quarterback situation. There is a good likelihood that Milton plays a bit for Dallas in 2025 because Dak Prescott has a history of getting banged up. In other words, Milton will have a chance to prove that he belongs in the NFL, with Dallas far more than New England.
Loser - Dak Prescott
After adding Milton, Prescott might have one more year to show the Cowboys he deserves to be the team's QB1 for the next half-decade. His contract is such that if he doesn't have the season that Dallas wants him to have, the team could shed Prescott's contract after 2026 and not lose anything. Not only does he need to play well, but he also needs to play most of the season.
The good part for Prescott is that he will probably stay healthy. He has done that every other season since 2019. Of course, that might mean that he won't be healthy in 2026. Either way, if the season begins to go south, Dallas could put Milton in to see what he is capable of. If he does well, Prescott's job could be in jeopardy.
Winner - Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones being a winner this offseason is rare, but he managed to pull off a sensible trade here. Milton will come to Dallas along with a seventh-round draft pick, while the Cowboys only give up a fifth-round choice. In other words, Milton will be a Cowboy for what amounts to a sixth-round choice.
Trade: New England is sending QB Joe Milton to the Dallas Cowboys, sources tell ESPN. With Cooper Rush going to Baltimore, Dallas now has a new backup for Dak Prescott. pic.twitter.com/AIVVuvsel2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2025
Milton's contract is also low since he was not chosen until the sixth round in 2024. His cap hit is no higher than $1,235,829 over the next three years. If he eventually takes over for Prescott and Dallas lets Prescott go, the Cowboys' cap savings will be immense.
Loser - Potentially the Cowboys future
Milton is a huge risk. Does he have a cannon for an arm? Yep, and he is physical enough to run well. But he was massively inconsistent in a system in college at Tennessee that has been shown to be quarterback-friendly. Milton was slow to make reads and made poor decisions on RPOs, and his one-game brilliance in the NFL is not enough to prove he is suddenly better as a pro.
Milton might play a few games next season and look good, but inconsistency has been his trademark. He will make splash plays, but he will fail in the small things many times. That certainly won't help the Cowboys moving forward.