New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III during warmups before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers. Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Cowboys' Joe Milton ranks in bottom half of NFL's backup QB rankings

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated May 30, 2025 2:44 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys made a trade with the New England Patriots during the offseason for backup quarterback Joe Milton III. The move was necessary for Dallas, which was left with a glaring hole on the roster during free agency.

Backup quarterback Cooper Rush left for the Baltimore Ravens, while Trey Lance eventually signed with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Now, the Cowboys are moving forward with Milton and Will Grier behind Dak Prescott on the depth chart. So far, Milton has been impressing Brian Schottenheimer and the team's coaching staff during OTAs.

But while the Cowboys have been impressed with the new quarterback, Milton has some work to do to convince NFL writers that he is one of the top backups in the league.

Milton checked in at No. 17 on Gilbert Manzano of SI.com's rankings of the NFL's 32 backup quarterbacks.

"Some might argue that this ranking is too low for Milton after dazzling in his Week 18 start last season for the Patriots. However, Milton, who went 22-of-29 for 241 yards and two total touchdowns, faced the Buffalo Bills’ backups a week before the playoffs," he wrote.

"The Patriots were quick to trade the 2024 sixth-round pick. But the Cowboys were impressed with Milton’s lone start, sending this year’s fifth-round pick to New England to land Dak Prescott’s backup."

Cooper Rush landed at No. 13 on the list.

Last season, Milton saw limited action, completing 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown. He added 16 yards and a score on the ground.

The Cowboys will be hoping that he continues to develop and lives up to the hype he's been receiving early in OTAs.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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