In three of the last five seasons, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has failed to play a full season due to injuries.
He has suffered three separate leg injuries alone over those five campaigns.
The first time he went down was in 2020 after a gruesome ankle injury in the fifth week ended his year. The Cowboys turned to Andy Dalton at quarterback and finished 6-10.
In 2021, Prescott missed one game after a minor leg injury and Cooper Rush stepped in for a huge come-from-behind win over the Vikings.
In 2022, Prescott’s thumb on his throwing hand required surgery after he injured it in the season opener. Rush would go 4-1 while Prescott recovered.
While Prescott made it through 2023 unscathed, he was not so fortunate in 2024.
And Rush’s magic finally ran out.
Prescott played the first eight games last year, going 3-5, before that third leg injury put him out for the season. Rush would go 4-5 in relief in a 7-10 season.
So, with an aging quarterback with a concerning injury history, do the Cowboys have someone who can step up and save the year if Prescott goes down?
Milton Is Our Man
Dallas let both Rush and Trey Lance go elsewhere in free agency this spring. Clearly, neither was a viable QB2 that could be relied on to move the offense effectively.
The Cowboys went shopping for a backup and may have stumbled into the biggest break in franchise history, at least under Jerry Jones’ ownership.
The New England Patriots found themselves in an embarrassment of riches after last year. They had drafted two solid quarterbacks out of college in 2024.
Drake Maye was the third overall pick in the 2024 draft behind Chicago’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Jayden Daniels.
The Patriots would later draft Joe Milton out of Tennessee in the sixth round.
The two rookies battled for the starting job. Maye won it and held onto it for the year, making Milton expendable.
The Cowboys got Milton without breaking the bank.
Can He Get It Done?
There is very little data to judge how Milton would fare if he were forced to start in Dallas.
He played in one game, taking over for Maye after the first possession of the season finale. He looked very good, throwing for 241 yards and a touchdown.
He also ran for a touchdown in a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.
Again, a small data set to try to draw conclusions from. But he does have superior arm strength compared to Rush, and is certainly more mobile.
His ability to create positive plays with his legs is a key advantage.
So yes, if Prescott goes down again this year, unlike before, the Cowboys season will not go down in flames with him with Milton running the offense.
