The New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys have finalized a deal that sends second-year quarterback Joe Milton III to Jerry’s World.
Milton, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft, was expected to either eventually push for the starting role or settle in as Drake Maye’s backup. But after Maye’s strong rookie year—and with the Patriots signing veteran Josh Dobbs earlier this offseason—it became clear there wasn’t much room left in the QB room. Milton did his job when called upon, winning his lone start against the Buffalo Bills late in the season. Apparently that was enough to catch Jerry Jones’ attention.
Now he gets a fresh start in Dallas—where Cooper Rush’s departure to Baltimore opened a spot behind Dak Prescott. ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news Wednesday, confirming the Cowboys have their new QB2 (or QB3, depending on how the room shakes out).
The New England Patriots just traded Joe Milton to the Dallas Cowboys
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Patriots will be sending Joe Milton and a seventh-round pick to Dallas in exchange for a fifth-rounder.
Patriots fans might be a little underwhelmed by the return for Milton. He performed admirably in his lone start—a 23-16 win over Buffalo’s backups in Week 18. Milton threw for 241 yards and a touchdown, added another on the ground, and looked composed in what turned out to be a solid NFL debut. The performance sparked immediate debate in sports media about whether he might actually be better than Drake Maye, inflating his perceived value just a bit.
When the offseason kicked off, there were reports New England would entertain trade conversations around the 25-year-old, but the price tag was steep. According to Cleveland Browns analyst Tony Grossi for The Land on Demand, the Pats were seeking a third-round pick for Milton.
So from that perspective, fans will probably be a little underwhelmed, but it's hard to say if he was ever truly going for a third-round pick. It is unfortunate though. If there was one team the Pats could weasel out a trade fleece, it'd be Jerry Jones and the Cowboys—they traded a fourth-round pick for Jonathan Mingo last season, remember? Funny enough, there were rumors Dallas was sniffing around a Milton trade. Turns out the 'where there's smoke, there's fire' crowd wins again.
Milton probably won’t see the field in Dallas unless disaster strikes, but in a quarterback market this thin, that Week 18 tape clearly held some weight. Could the Patriots have squeezed more out of a deal? We’ll never know. For now, it’s all about Drake Maye and Year 2.