The Dallas Cowboys surprised much of the NFL when they traded with the New England Patriots for quarterback Joe Milton III. Dallas sent a fifth-round pick in exchange for Milton and a seventh-round pick.
Milton intrigues many because of his size and his arm strength. During the 2024 NFL Combine, he threw the ball 62 yards during a drill. However, he was inconsistent when on the field.
The arrival of Milton has many debating whether the Cowboys made a good decision and if current starting quarterback Dak Prescott needs to be looking over his shoulder. Prescott ranked 30th on PFSN’s QB+ Metric for 2024 with a grade of D, the lowest he has ever scored. Many wonder if 2024 was an anomaly and if the Cowboys are adding some insurance in the form of Milton.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Has Nothing To Worry About
On a recent episode of FS1’s show “The Facility,” the co-hosts debated what the Milton trade means for Prescott. According to Chase Daniel, a career backup quarterback in the league, he shouldn’t lose any sleep over Milton.
Dak Prescott finished 2nd in MVP voting & was a 2nd team All-Pro just 15 months ago…
A Top 12 QB should never look over his shoulder at all. pic.twitter.com/PDm6PgegMh
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) April 4, 2025
“Dak Prescott should not be looking over his shoulder at all,” said Daniel. “Not one bit. I think Dak Prescott is a top 12, top 11 quarterback in this league. We forget that Dak Prescott finished second in MVP voting and was a second-team All-Pro just 15 months ago.
“Frankly, he has a very untradeable contract with a trade clause. There’s $187.75 million owed to Dak Prescott. His cap hit in 2025 is $50 million. His cap hit in 2026 if he were traded, $74 million. Dak Prescott will be the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys for at least the next two years.”
Daniel added that the Cowboys’ new head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, has Prescott to thank partly for his promotion. He was their offensive coordinator, and Daniel pointed out that the two are close friends.
He does think Milton’s addition makes sense. The Cowboys needed a backup, and Milton is a solid player they should be able to rely on.
Joe Milton’s ‘Fresh Legs’ Could Challenge Cowboys Starter
Daniel’s co-host, former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, who spent 12 seasons in the league, mainly as a starter, said he thinks Prescott should be concerned — especially when you factor in Milton’s ability to scramble.
“If he comes in there when Dak gets injured and this young dude comes in with fresh legs, who runs way better than Dak,” explained McCoy. “You’re talking about the struggling running game the Cowboys have, one of the best things for a struggling running game is RPOs and read options, which Dak cannot do.
“All it takes is for a couple of good games like Cooper Rush had. The NFL is one of the craziest jobs. You could be the man today, and get all this money, and the next moment, the team finds a way to save money and get rid of you. Happens all the time.”
“You can be the man today…And the next moment, the team finds a way to get rid of you.”@CutOnDime25 on whether Dak Prescott should be looking over his shoulder after Cowboys trade for Joe Milton pic.twitter.com/STCOQURXtm
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) April 4, 2025
McCoy pointed out how the former Washington Redskins, now Commanders, drafted both Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in 2012. Cousins was meant to be a backup, but he ultimately took Griffin’s job when injured. Ultimately, Cousins had a longer career that was financially and statistically better.
While Prescott might not be called injury-prone, he has lost time during his career. That includes his 2020 ankle and 2024 hamstring season-ending injuries. McCoy further elaborated that if the 32-year-old quarterback falls with an injury, the fleet-footed Milton will be given his opportunity to shine on a silver platter.