Former Tennessee Vols QB Joe Milton is on the move and heading to the brightest lights in the NFL
Joe Milton is on the move, and his destination is one that will provide a lot more exposure than where he is coming from. The former Tennessee quarterback has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a late-round pick swap, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The compensation the Cowboys gave up to get him […]
Joe Milton is on the move, and his destination is one that will provide a lot more exposure than where he is coming from.
The former Tennessee quarterback has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a late-round pick swap, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The compensation the Cowboys gave up to get him isn't much at all: a compensatory fifth and they're getting a seventh back. That kind of goes to show the market for Milton and apparently what the Patriots thought of him. The Pats also signed fellow ex-Vol Josh Dobbs last month in free agency, which gives them a capable veteran backup behind starter Drake Maye. That made Milton, a sixth-round pick last year by New England, effective expendable.
But opportunity could be knocking in a significant way in Dallas for Milton. The Cowboys' primary backup last year, Cooper Rush, signed with Baltimore this year. Trey Lance also remains a free agent. That gives Milton a legitimate chance to earn the backup QB job behind Dak Prescott this fall, with the only other QB currently on the roster being Will Grier.
And with Prescott's injury history, the Cowboys' backup role is one that has seen plenty of action in recent years. Prescott has only played a full season once going back to the 2019 season – and that was in 2023. He missed most of the 2020 season with a dislocated ankle and several games in 2022 with a fractured thumb. Last year, he missed 9 games with a hamstring injury.
So, for those thinking that perhaps it's just a chance for Milton to hold a clipboard and a headset in Dallas, recent history says opportunity could be there to see game action. We'll see what the Cowboys do the rest of the offseason to address the QB position, but for the time being, Vol fans should keep an eye on what happens with America's Team and Milton.
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