Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III (19) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bills in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Former Patriots QB Breaks Silence on Trade to Cowboys

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The New England Patriots made a few notable shake-ups to their quarterback room this offseason behind Drake Maye.

Among those moves was the decision to ship out 2024 sixth-round pick Joe Milton III and a seventh round pick the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth rounder, coming as a bit of a surprising decision after being selected to the team less than 12 months prior and showing out during his Week 18 opportunity vs. the Buffalo Bills.

Though it's a move that caught Milton himself a bit off guard, it's one he seems to be fully embracing when asked about the trade at Cowboys OTAs.

“Was I surprised? Yes," Milton said about his trade from the Patriots. "I kind of woke up around, like, 7 o'clock, woke up to a call, and knew I was getting traded. The only thing I did at that moment was thank God. Coming here was a blessing. I didn’t know it was going to be here. My agent said it was multiple teams that called, so I didn’t know where I was going to end up.”

Milton was among the many names shipped out of the mix from the Patriots' last regime amid the pivot to new head coach Mike Vrabel alongside another quarterback in the room, Jacoby Brissett, with the team deciding to bring in veteran Joshua Dobbs as the new backup behind Maye, leaving the 25-year-old to join aboard in Dallas.

For Milton, it's not only an opportunity to grow as a quarterback within his own right, but also to learn from one of the better talents at the position through recent league history in Dak Prescott.

“I feel like I can learn something," Milton continued. "And when I say that, Dak, he played more football than I have. He’s been in the NFL longer, so I feel like I can learn something from the aspect of [being] a quarterback overall because he’s seen a lot. He’s been through a lot. So, just being able to figure out the whole quarterback position as a whole.”

The former Patriots quarterback will now be in the mix of an intriguing quarterback room in Dallas with a chance to emerge as the team's QB2 on the depth chart in a competition with Will Grier, starting with a strong showing in OTAs.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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