For a sixth-round pick who’s never played in a meaningful game, Joe Milton’s been talked about plenty over the last two years. Dallas’ developmental quarterback is next up on in our roster rundown series, set to enter a pivotal third NFL season and his second with the Cowboys.
Background
Years in NFL: 2
Acquired by: Trade (2025)
Milton’s last collegiate season with the Tennessee Volunteers in 2023 was his only one as a full-time starter. He was named the starter in 2021 but got injured early, opening the door
for backup Hendon Hooker. That twist of fate kept Milton benched for two years until Hooker got drafted, allowing Milton to get his job back as a senior. He entered the NFL draft cycle on a high with a six-touchdown performance in his final game.
Milton wowed scouts with his athleticism at the combine, but his rawness as a passer kept him waiting until the sixth round. The Patriots finally gave Milton a new team, making him their second QB in that draft after first-rounder Drake Maye. He was the clear third on New England’s depth chart behind Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett, who battled for the starting job throughout the year.
When Milton finally got his first snaps in the regular-season finale, he made the most of them. The Patriots were 3-13 going into this meaningless affair with the 13-3 Buffalo Bills, and both teams treated it like a preseason game. But after struggling in the actual preseason, Milton still had an opportunity to put some better things on film. He did that with a 241-yard, two-touchdown performance that included a 111.4 passer rating. While it was mostly against Buffalo’s backups, Milton showed off enough to create at trade market.
In early April of 2025, fresh off a failed two-year experiment with Trey Lance, the Cowboys decided to try again with another athletically gifted QB. They traded a fifth-round pick to New England for Milton and a seventh, giving the Pats a slight profit on their original sixth-round investment. Milton entered a battle for the backup job with veteran Will Grier, and Dallas made him the only reserve QB on the 53 at final cuts.
Grier remained on the practice squad, and it would have been interesting to see what the Cowboys would’ve done if Dak Prescott had suffered a major injury. Protecting their rights to Milton on the official roster made sense, and there was little risk of losing Grier. But Prescott started all 17 games last year, leaving us to only speculate if Milton would’ve been treated like the true QB2.
Milton did get to play in four games, all garbage time appearances in blowout losses. He never looked as sharp as in that 2024 finale, and ended his first year in Dallas with arguably diminished stock. But as just a third-year player, and with a big change right in the middle of his NFL career, Milton’s opportunity with the Cowboys isn’t over yet.
Contract Status
Years Left: 2
2026 Cap Hit: $1.08 million
Milton’s original contract from the Patriots runs through 2027, paying him just over $1 million each year. If he is a capable QB2 during that time, that saves you several million from what a typical veteran backup costs.
2026 Projections
Role: Backup QB
Roster Chance: 75%
Speaking of veteran backups, the Cowboys signed fifth-year QB Sam Howell as a free agent last March and released Grier two days later. Howell’s full season as Washington’s starter in 2023 gives him one big advantage over Milton, but it won’t mean everything. It’s a classic battle of experience versus upside: who do you trust more if the soon to be 33-year-old Prescott gets injured?
While it’s still less than 1% of the total salary cap, and may not mean that much, Howell did get a fully guaranteed $2.5 million contract for 2026. Dallas can eat that cap hit if they have to, but you know that’s not their preference. It would seem to indicate that Howell has a spot on the 53 as long as he doesn’t completely blow it this summer.
What does that mean for Milton? Potentially, not much. If Milton shows some development between now and late August, he will likely retain his roster spot as well. Dallas didn’t keep three QBs on last year’s roster, but that was partly because they knew they could get away with stashing Grier on the practice squad. Even if Milton doesn’t win the backup job, he’s still young enough that a team might poach him for their own QB pipeline.
Whether he is QB2 or still in development in 2026, Joe Milton III is likely to remain on the Cowboys roster for at least one more year. He and Sam Howell should give us an intriguing competition for the backup job during training camp and the preseason. And with Prescott feeling due for some missed games in 2026, it’s a battle that could have serious implications for Dallas’ upcoming season.
Check out our previous player profiles from this series:
C Cooper Beebe
G Tyler Booker
S Alijah Clark
EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku
TE Jake Ferguson
S Malik Hooker
LB Shemar James
G Trevor Keegan
FB Hunter Luepke
RB Phil Mafah
WR Jonathan Mingo
CB Devin Moore
LS Trent Sieg
WR Anthony Smith
OT Terence Steele
CB Reddy Steward
DT Jay Toia
EDGE Tyrus Wheat
EDGE Sam Williams
