Brian Schottenheimer announces big decision on Joe Milton following Cowboys quarterback’s struggles in preseason so far
Joe Milton has struggled so far this preseason. Will the Cowboys give him another shot at starting in this week’s finale?
On Monday, coach Brian Schottenheimer confirmed Joe Milton will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys’ preseason finale on Friday versus the Atlanta Falcons.
Milton started the Cowboys’ first two preseason games, but there were questions about his spot on the depth chart following a couple of lackluster performances, including a 48.8 passer rating on Saturday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
After this weekend’s game, I argued the Cowboys should give Will Grier more playing time as Milton’s accuracy and decision-making woes have made player evaluation a difficult task for Dallas. One reason is that wide receivers were not getting a chance to catch Milton’s erratic passes.
Despite announcing Milton as a starter for Friday’s game, Schottenheimer insisted the Cowboys haven’t named a backup quarterback. So why not give Will Grier the snaps this weekend? The head coach’s question has a clear answer.
“Joe Milton is the guy we want to find out more about,” Schottenheimer said. “We’re not naming a backup right now, but the guy that I feel like we don’t have as much information on is Joe Milton. I feel like we have more information on Will.”
I included Milton in my 53-man roster projection because I don’t see the Cowboys shutting down their developmental player just yet. But the QB2 job is still up in the air because, from what we’ve seen from Milton so far, he’s just not game-ready. The freakish arm talent is there, which was advertised since his college football days. The accuracy and pocket presence are objectively bad at the moment.
But the Cowboys coach is not backing down. Milton will be evaluated as much as possible before the start of the regular season. Schottenheimer added that the staff has been upfront with Grier, explaining why Milton is getting the majority of the reps.
“I’m learning, Joe,” Schottenheimer said. “I’m learning how you call a game with Joe as your quarterback, that’s a big part of it.”
For now, when the Cowboys take on the Falcons on Friday, expect the same quarterback under center to start the game.
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