Cowboys insider addresses Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III rumors

In March, a rumor surfaced seemingly out of nowhere claiming that the Cleveland Browns were "negotiating...with the Dallas Cowboys for a trade" to acquire quarterback Dak Prescott from Dallas.

No such transaction materialized, but eyebrows understandably were raised when Dallas landed backup signal-caller Joe Milton III from the New England Patriots in early April. 

For a piece published on Thursday, Cowboys insider Todd Archer of ESPN addressed chatter regarding whether Milton could replace a healthy Prescott in the Dallas lineup during the upcoming season. 

"Let's start with the obvious: Dak Prescott's job is not on the line," Archer said. "The Cowboys signed him to an extension through 2028 in September that made him the highest-paid quarterback in the game. There is not an escape until maybe after the 2027 season. But the contract will be something Prescott will have to measure up to in 2025. He turns 32 in July. In the past five seasons, he has missed time with ankle, thumb, calf and hamstring injuries."

Prescott signed a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed. He then went down with what became a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 of the season. 

That said, Prescott emerged in 2023 as a MVP finalist. Per Pro Football Reference stats, he finished that regular season ranked second in the league with a 72.7 adjusted QBR, second with a 105.9 passer rating, third with 4,516 passing yards and first with 36 passing touchdowns. 

To compare, Milton entered the NFL as a 2024 sixth-round draft pick and then spent the majority of his rookie season buried on the New England depth chart beneath journeyman Jacoby Brissett and current Patriots starter Drake Maye. While facing mostly backup defensive players in New England's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills, Milton completed 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a score in that game. 

History shows there is almost always a creative way for a team to either escape or alter a contract. Nevertheless, there was no indication as of the final Thursday of June that first-year Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer would even consider playing Milton over an available Prescott before Week 18 of the upcoming season. 

Rumors about the Cowboys' long-term plans could once again arise if Prescott repeatedly produces duds coming off his latest injury setback. However, such conversations can be punted down the road to at least 2026.