There is little doubt who will be the Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback as Dak Prescott is expected to be fully healthy in time for training camp. The real question is who will be Prescott’s new backup with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance both departing Big D during NFL free agency.
Dallas acquired Joe Milton in a trade with the New England Patriots this offseason. Yet, not everyone is convinced that Milton will win the backup role.
Athlon Sports’ Mike Fisher’s latest Cowboys depth chart surprisingly has Milton as the Cowboys third-string quarterback. The Cowboys insider believes it will instead be Will Grier who is the new Dallas backup quarterback.
“The big watch here, is who will back him (Prescott) up,” Fisher wrote in a May 19, 2025, story titled, “George Pickens Leads New Cowboys 53-Man Roster Projection.”
“Grier returns to the Cowboys still under contract, but has seen very little time away from the practice squad. He does have familiarity with the building over sophomore stud Joe Milton, however, who was acquired in a trade with New England earlier this offseason,” Fisher continued.
“Backup quarterback is one of many competitions throughout the roster worth keeping tabs on at camp.”
QB Joe Milton Fell to the 6th Round of the 2024 NFL Draft
The former Tennessee Volunteers standout quarterback entered the NFL with plenty of promise, especially after showing off his impressive arm strength during the pre-draft process. Yet, Milton slipped to the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft before the Patriots stopped his slide. Here is how NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described Milton as a pro prospect.
“Rare physical specimen with the proverbial ‘arm talent to make all the NFL throws,’ but he’s prevented from doing so by a lack of timing, accuracy and touch,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile of the quarterback. “Milton is gifted with a cannon for a right arm and can throw the ball as hard or as far as you want.
“His fastballs are often inaccurate and difficult to catch for moving targets, and he was wildly inconsistent locating his deep throws. He can elude pressure, extend plays and put jaw-dropping highlights on tape, but he’s never been able to mature his game from splashy to consistent.”
Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer on Joe Milton: ‘The Work Ethic Is Incredible’
Given the Cowboys pushed to trade for Milton, it would be a surprise if the quarterback is not given every opportunity to win the backup job. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer sounds like a major fan of Milton.
“I was excited about Joe before we got him,” Schottenheimer explained on May 21, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “When you go into these deals and you’re talking about making trades, we all reach out to people that you know, people that you trust, people that have been exposed to said player at college, different programs, friends that have been around him.
“… But from the time he’s been here, the work ethic is incredible. He’s one of the first people in the building. He’s one of the last to leave. The way he’s attacked the playbook and picking it up has been incredible. And it’s been fun for me to watch Dak and Will, but really Dak take a mentorship role with Joe.”
