Last week, the Dallas Cowboys solved an immediate roster issue by trading for quarterback Joe Milton. The former Tennessee alum saw just one game in his rookie year with the Patriots.
With Cooper Rush signing with the Ravens and Trey Lance off to the Chargers, the Cowboys needed another backup for Dak Prescott in addition to Will Grier.
The trade didn’t cost Dallas much at all. Sending one of their 5th round picks to New England for Milton and a seventh rounder.
This allowed the Cowboys to address a need they expected to attend to in the draft without losing one of their 10 picks.
Milton played parts of three years at Michigan and another three at Tennessee. His sixth year was his breakout year in college.
He couldn’t beat out the Patriots’ first-round pick, Drake Maye, for the starting job in New England and was inactive for 15 of the 17 games.
Milton finally saw action in the final game of the 2024 season though, giving a glimpse of what might be that afternoon.
He was 22-for-29 for 241 yards and a 48-yard touchdown pass. Milton added 16 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 23-16 win over Buffalo.
It was a solid performance from the rookie and clearly caught the eye of the Cowboys’ front office.
The trade itself was noteworthy. But it was the reaction of one of the numerous talking heads on TV that caught a lot of attention last week.
Shady Said What?
LeSean McCoy is known for making some outlandish statements on television. It is what he’s paid to do after all.
However, following the trade, McCoy had a warning for the Cowboys starting quarterback, Dak Prescott.
“Listen, if Dak Prescott has a postseason like he’s always had going into that next year … Dak, find a realtor,” McCoy said Thursday on FS1. “Because Joe Milton got talent — he can play.”
Now, before you start casting stones at the man, let’s take a look at the big picture.
Based on Milton’s final year with the Vols and his last game with the Patriots, McCoy isn’t wrong. Milton can play.
Better yet, unlike Rush and Lance, he can throw the ball around with accuracy, heat, and distance. He’s also a very mobile quarterback.
A lot like Prescott used to be before the leg injuries.
Prescott will be the starter this year and likely the next two seasons, especially with the monster contract and his no-trade clause in his back pocket.
The earliest Dallas can part ways with Prescott is after the end of the 2027 season. Milton is going to be the backup in Dallas for some time.
Unless, of course…
A 2016 Redux
There are two ways that dynamic changes. McCoy has already listed one.
If Prescott fails to get the Cowboys to the playoffs, or continues his streak of playing giveaway in the first half of a playoff game, Milton might get his chance.
But also recall exactly how Prescott himself came into the NFL back in 2016.
Drafted in the fourth round, Prescott was expected to be Tony Romo’s understudy for two or three years before taking over. Until suddenly those years became months instead.
When Romo went down with his final injury in the preseason that year, Prescott was thrust into the starting job.
He led the Cowboys with an impressive rookie season to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
Prescott’s first playoff game was a solid one. Unfortunately, he ran into Aaron Rodgers, who simply won games by just showing up back then.
That same ascension could happen to Milton. Prescott has only played two full seasons out of his last five.
Leg injuries have cut down on his mobility somewhat, and he certainly doesn’t run as much as he did earlier in his career.
Should Prescott go down again, Milton would get his chance. Like Romo in 2016, Prescott could never get his starting job back.
Suddenly, that no-trade clause could be waived if Milton steps in and gets Dallas further into the playoffs than Prescott has.
Which was McCoy’s point all along.
What The Future Holds
In the short term, Dallas appears to be set at quarterback, and they still have 10 draft picks to play with.
They also have a headache waiting to erupt. If Prescott struggles this year, it won’t take long for the fan base to start calling for Milton to start.
If Prescott goes down as Romo did, and Milton shines as Prescott did, does Prescott get his starting job back when he’s healthy?
Romo didn’t in 2016. If Milton is getting the wins, neither should Prescott, no matter how much he’s getting paid.
Either way, a quarterback controversy is looming.
Maybe that was the plan all along?
Put a little extra heat on Prescott to take that next step and get the Cowboys back to the conference title game and possibly the Super Bowl.
And if he can’t, his replacement is already waiting on the sidelines.