Joe Milton III experienced a dream transformation when he fell asleep last night as a New England Patriot, waking up to find his dream had become a reality. On Thursday the Patriotssent the second-year quarterback and a seventh-round draft selection to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.
Milton, a former University of Tennessee product, couldn't hide his enthusiasm about joining the organization his family has supported for years.
"My family grew up a Cowboys fan," Milton said via Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz. "My mom always had a Cowboys shirt on. She always talked about them. Living in Texas has been a longtime dream of mine. And now I'm with them. I'm ready to work."
After three seasons at Michigan (2018-2020), the Pahokee, Florida native found his footing at Tennessee, where he played for another three seasons (2021-2023) following a transfer to the SEC program. In his final year, he started 12 games, passing for 2,769 yards and 20 touchdowns with just five interceptions. On the ground he rushed for 292 yards and scored six touchdowns.
Milton's collegiate career showcased his powerful arm strength and athletic potential, traits that were on full display during a 23-16 win during Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season over the Buffalo Bills, during which Milton completed 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards with one passing and one rushing touchdown which caught the attention of multiple teams this offseason, including Dallas.
Joe Milton with one of the best "plays that didn't count" of the season pic.twitter.com/NuwGLcLfwD
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 5, 2025
The Cowboys knew they needed to bolster the quarterback room following the loss of longtime back up Cooper Rush who signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.
"I suspect we might do something," owner Jerry Jones stated at the Annual League Meeting earlier this week on the trade front.
That something was in the form of a 6-foot-5, 247 pound signal caller who has a cannon for an arm and placed fourth among all 2024 rookie QB's in athleticism during last year's scouting combine.
Currently, barring any further changes, Milton will compete with veteran Will Grier for the backup position behind starter Dak Prescott, who is coming off a shortened 2024 season due to a hamstring injury.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: New Cowboys QB Joe Milton speaks on being raised by a family of fans
