A cannon-armed backup with rare physical tools who is fighting to prove he belongs behind center in Dallas.
Joe Milton III has one of the biggest arms in football, a trait that got him drafted despite an unconventional college path through both Michigan and Tennessee. After a rookie year buried on New England's depth chart, Milton was traded to Dallas, where he is competing for snaps as Dak Prescott's backup.
Path to the league
Milton spent his first three college seasons at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee, where he started in 2022 and 2023 and completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final season. The New England Patriots took him in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, 193rd overall, pairing him with third overall pick Drake Maye in a rare double dip at the position.
Career highlights
Milton's calling card is his arm strength, one of the strongest in recent draft memory, paired with solid accuracy on shorter throws. He made his first career start in Week 18 of the 2024 season against Buffalo, completing 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a passing touchdown while adding a rushing score in a 23-16 Patriots win.
2025 season recap
New England traded Milton to Dallas along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round selection, and the Cowboys brought him in as an upgrade at backup quarterback after Cooper Rush left in free agency. He spent the 2025 season competing for and holding the QB2 job behind Dak Prescott, giving Dallas a big-armed insurance policy behind its starter.
Sources
- NFL.com: Joe Milton III
- ESPN: Patriots trade QB Joe Milton III to Cowboys
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Passing
4 games played▶Passing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RTG | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cowboys | 4 | 15 | 24 | 183 | 1 | 2 | 65.1 | 52.8 |
| 2024 | patriots | 1 | 22 | 29 | 241 | 1 | 0 | 111.4 | 69.6 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cowboys | 4 | 5 | 50 | 10.0 | 0 | 23 |
| 2024 | patriots | 1 | 10 | 16 | 1.6 | 1 | 9 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Quarterback
- Group
- offense
- College
- Tennessee
- Hometown
- Pahokee, FL, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
Latest news about Joe Milton III
All news →Joe Milton Makes His Case for Cowboys' Backup Job in Rout of Cardinals
Milton threw two touchdown passes for the second straight preseason game, but coordinator Klayton Schottenheimer says the competition with Sam Howell is 'long from over.'
Cowboys Rout Cardinals 34-13 in Preseason Week 2
Dallas Cowboys 34, Arizona Cardinals 13 at State Farm Stadium. Joe Milton III went 9 of 13 for 179 yards with 2 touchdowns.
Cowboys Beat Seahawks 17-7 in Preseason Week 1
Dallas Cowboys 17, Seattle Seahawks 7 at Lumen Field. Joe Milton III went 12 of 15 for 107 yards with 1 touchdown.
Team
