Joe Milton isn’t lacking for self-confidence.
The Dallas Cowboys decided to go in a different direction with their backup quarterback spot this offseason, letting both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance walk. To fill that spot, they made a trade with the New England Patriots to bring in talented gunslinger Joe Milton to back up Dak Prescott.
Milton doesn’t have a ton of experience at the NFL level, but he has plenty of ability and can throw it with the best of them. As a result, he isn’t exactly lacking for self-confidence either. He may have wanted a change of scenery if the Patriots were not going to give him a chance to win the starting job from Drake Maye, according to Karen Guregian of MassLive.
“Based on intel gathered from sources during the week, Milton fancied himself a starter. He didn’t see himself being given a legitimate chance to compete with Drake Maye,” Guregian reported. “He also believed he was good enough to give Maye a run, if not overtake him for the top job.
“If that chance didn’t exist, Milton preferred being elsewhere, somewhere he had a better chance to compete for the starter’s job.”
Milton won’t really have that chance in Dallas either, as Prescott is a rock-solid starter who will unquestionably be the main guy from day one in Dallas.
Maye also has all of the tools to be a franchise quarterback and showed plenty of flashes as a rookie in 2024 despite playing with very little talent on the offensive line or at wide receiver, so it comes as no surprise that the Patriots are moving forward with the North Carolina product.
Milton got one start at the end of his rookie season in Week 18 and was very impressive, finishing 22-for-29 with 241 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Buffalo Bills (who rested most of their starters). However, the talent that he possesses combined with some of the impressive film from that game was enough for the Cowboys to take a chance on him as a backup for next season.