One of the biggest surprises of the Dallas Cowboys preseason has been Joe Milton’s play at quarterback. And it has led to fans, media, and content creators to ask a question: Could the Cowboys trade him with his value at the highest it’s been?

I’ll be honest. Part of me hates this part of football. A player does well and if he isn’t in line to start immediately, we start thinking about trades. But as much as I don’t like it, this is how NFL teams think. It’s all about maximizing your assets. And for a team like the Cowboys, who have Dak Prescott at QB and another solid backup option in Sam Howell, it may be perfect timing to maximize Milton’s value via a trade.

Then again, it might not. But due diligence must be done. So that’s what I set out to do. I reached out to A to Z Sports writers covering other teams for mock trade offers. Five teams came through in this excercise, and at least one offer blew me away. We’ll dive into the offers but first, some context on Milton.

Milton’s value could be very high

Through two preseason games, Milton has looked like a totally different player than last year. So far, he sits at 75% completion rate, totaling for 286 yards and three touchdowns.

Notably, he’s stayed calm in the pocket and has been able to create plays under pressure even when bailing out of the pocket. For the Cowboys, this presents an intriguing situation.

The front office signed Sam Howell back in March to comte with Milton and he’s played well too. So much so that Howell got the start in the preseason opener. And even after Milton’s standout performances, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has yet to name a starter.

The thinking of trading Milton would be selling high and sticking with Howell as a decent QB2. Now let’s dive into the offers.

Arizona Cardinals

• Cowboys get: 2027 third-round pick, QB Gardner Minshew
• Cardinals: QB Joe Milton

The Arizona Cardinals offer the Dallas Cowboys a 2027 3rd round selection and Gardner Minshew in exchange for Joe Milton. That delivers a top 100 selection and a proven backup quarterback to the Cowboys. The Cardinals receive a talented quarterback in Milton, which could mix and match with Carson Beck to begin building a development plan behind center.

There’s a chance that the Cardinals are in the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback market but there are no guarantees. Milton presents an option that they direly need more of. A 3rd round selection is a low cost investment, so it feels like an intriguing potential addition based on talent and upside. – Ryan Roberts

Buffalo Bills

• Cowboys get: 2027 fifth-round pick
• Bills get: QB Joe Milton

If you have looked at a Buffalo Bills 53 man roster projection, you have probably seen that most of them carry 2 quarterbacks. Typically, Josh Allen’s backup is Kyle Allen,

While he’s fine, if not serviceable, I believe Joe Milton would be an upgrade, and obviously has a lot more potential. Milton has the bigger arm, is more mobile, and let’s be honest, has a play style a lot closer to Josh Allen than Kyle Allen.

Not only would he provide the team with a steady backup, he would give the Bills a quarterback who can develop into a potential starter, while offering a skillset that doesn’t require a drastic change in scheme. I would love this fit for Milton in Buffalo. – Rob Gregson

New York Jets

• Cowboys get: 2027 5th-round pick, QB Bailey Zappe
• Bills get: QB Joe Milton

The Jets have 35-year-old Geno Smith as a starter and drafted Cade Klubnik in the fourth round, but that combination shouldn’t preclude them from going after a high-ceiling, long-term option in Joe Milton. In this scenario, New York would part ways with a mid-round pick and a third-string type of quarterback to acquire Milton, who still has two seasons left on his rookie deal. At least, the Jets would be adding a backup with real NFL game experience, but also with some future upside. – Wendell Ferreira

Minnesota Vikings

• Cowboys get: QB J.J. McCarthy and 2028 sixth-round pick OR 2027 fifth-round pick
• Vikings get: QB Joe Milton and 2028 seventh-round pick

Let’s be real: the Vikings need to figure something out at the quarterback position. J.J. McCarthy is not the guy, and he has likely played his last snap for the Vikings. Now, can he be a guy somewhere else? It’s possible, as I think a fresh start is needed. He could be the next reclamation project backup quarterback after Trey Lance.

If the Cowboys don’t want McCarthy, they can find another team to ship him off to, and they will improve their draft compensation offered. Milton still has question marks about whether or not he can be more than a QB3, but the Vikings would be smart to take a chance on Milton with Carson Wentz still able to be a stabilizing player for Kevin O’Connell. – Tyler Forness

Cleveland Browns

• Cowboys get: 2027 fifth-round pick and 2027 seventh-round pick
• Browns get: QB Joe Milton, 2027 sixth-round pick (via Steelers)

The Browns don’t have their quarterback of the future on the roster, despite Deshaun Watson being the starter. Cleveland’s best-case scenario is that Watson can be a capable bridge until next season, when they bring in a first-round selection at the position. The Browns giving Watson the job over Shedeur Sanders is indicative of where Sanders stands in the Browns’ thinking in terms of his potential as a starting quarterback. If history has shown us anything with the Browns, it’s that multiple quarterbacks are going to play this season. That’s what has happened every season with Watson starting games.

Trading for Milton from Dallas would give Todd Monken another quarterback to work with who has a rocket arm and a ton of upside if he can be fine-tuned. The Browns also have Taylen Green, who will likely see the field in some way in 2026. There’s nothing wrong with the Browns taking as many swings at the position as they can between now and 2027, when you know they’re not expecting to win a lot in 2026. Milton shouldn’t cost much, and he doesn’t stop the Browns from taking another quarterback next year. – Brandon Little

Final thoughts

I’m not sure the Cowboys would pull the trigger on many of the above offers. For starters, I’m not sure they’re looking for another QB to their depth chart and while former first-round pick JJ McCarthy is intriguing, he hasn’t looked the part yet.

That being said, the Cardinals coming in with a third rounder changes everything. If this offer came in real life, I struggle to see the Cowboys turning it down. It’s exactly the kind of offer that I wanted to do this exercise for.

I don’t think the Cowboys necessarily want to deal Milton for a late Day 3 pick. But if a third-rounder comes through, maybe they gotta take it. And who knows, maybe it’s valuable ammo for that potential big move Jerry Jones has been teasing…