Joe Milton was easily the best choice of all practical QB2 options for Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys shook things up a bit on Thursday morning when they sent a fifth-round pick (171 overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for quarterback Joe Milton and a seventh-rounder (217 overall).
All due respect to Will Grier, but he is the third quarterback on the roster after Dak Prescott as Milton immediately slots into the QB2 spot for the Cowboys. Milton may only have a single year of NFL experience, but his athleticism and would-be talent make this the case (as well as what Will Grier hasn’t done at this point in his career).
What is important about this reality beyond the obvious is that the Cowboys did not have a bona fide QB2 option when we all woke up on Thursday morning. It was a question mark that many were assuming the team would answer by way of taking someone in the draft. For what it’s worth, the Cowboys apparently explored other options prior to landing Milton, though.
In the aftermath of the trade ESPN’s Todd Archer shared two interesting notes about the backup quarterback situation. Apparently the Cowboys had interest in both Jacoby Brissett and Drew Lock in free agency, and apparently they had extension talks with Trey Lance last season.
The Cowboys had interest in adding Jacoby Brissett in free agency, but he signed with Arizona. They also discussed the possibility of Drew Lock. Joe Milton is under contract for three years at much lower numbers. Betting on the upside on the Patriots’ 6th round pick last year.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 3, 2025
After Dak Prescott got hurt last year, the Cowboys had talks with Trey Lance regarding an extension that, obviously, never got to the finish line. Lance played well in his one start last year but he remains unsigned.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 3, 2025
The Lance thing is interesting in and of itself. It makes sense for the Cowboys to have had the conversation at that point in time, but he was still (and remains) pretty unproven. Most of our discussion here is very positive and we should keep it that way, but it is funny how the Cowboys waited until after Dak Prescott was hurt (so therefore when Lance’s leverage went up) to have extension talks. Water under the bridge, though.
But if handed a list that any of Jacoby Brissett, Drew Lock, Trey Lance or Joe Milton could be the Cowboys backup quarterback, would you not have taken Milton as the top choice? He is the cheapest option from a financial perspective and has the highest lottery ticket potential.
Sometimes fate has a funny way of working out and it appears that it did in this case for the Cowboys. Milton was the best option for Dallas and was ultimately the one that they were able to work out.
