Practically the entire NFL world was caught off guard when the Dallas Cowboys cut quarterback Joe Milton III ahead of initial roster finalization on Sunday, despite multiple strong preseason showings.
Now, analysts are focused on where Milton could land, including coach Jason Brown, who believes he should end up with the Browns.
Jason Brown Underlines Why Cleveland Needs to Cut Shedeur Sanders
Responding to reports of Dallas releasing Milton, Brown replied on X, saying, “Cut Sanders, sign him immediately, Browns.”
The seriousness of the reply can be debated, though it is an interesting scenario.
While Sanders has definitely shown enough to start for the Browns this season, Milton’s success shouldn’t be overlooked.
In three total preseason appearances this year, he completed 34 of 57 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns, while tacking on 16 rushing yards and a rushing score.
He also appeared in four regular-season games for Dallas in 2025, throwing for 183 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions.
However, those performances weren’t enough to beat out Sam Howell for the Cowboys’ backup quarterback job. Milton is now on the hunt for a new home, though it could be difficult to end up with the Browns.
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Cleveland decided to roster four quarterbacks, including Deshaun Watson and his $230M contract, second-year quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, as well as rookie sixth-round pick Taylen Green.
Rostering four quarterbacks is quite unusual, though it makes sense for the Browns given the quarterback carousel they managed last year.
It wouldn’t add up to get rid of Sanders, who narrowly lost the QB1 competition to Watson.
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It’s still up for debate whether Watson won the job outright or was handed the role based on his albatross of a contract. Regardless, Sanders will be biding his time for any signs of a slip-up.
Last year, in relief of Gabriel and Joe Flacco, Sanders won three of his seven starts with depleted skill positions around him. His performances weren’t the prettiest, as seen in his 63.0 PFN QB Impact Metric, though few rookie quarterbacks could’ve done better.
Even though Sanders won’t begin the season as the starter, Watson’s recent history of poor play and injuries could give Sanders another chance to be the Browns’ top signal caller.
With the preseason out of the way, they’ll kick off the regular season in Jacksonville on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1 pm ET.
