Dallas Cowboys Should Trade QB Joe Milton III Before It's Too Late

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III is coming off of his best performances as an NFL player, even it was only a preseason game.

Milton shined in Dallas' 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, finishing 9 of 13 passing for 179 yards, two touchdowns and no picks along with one rushing score. All of this came in just one half of football, as Milton showed many why he might be the best choice over Sam Howell for the team's backup quarterback job.

However, we'd argue that the best course of action for Dallas is to seek out a trade for Milton before his value decreases in any fashion.

Teams will often pay up if it means acquiring a young quarterback with intriguing potential, and as things stand, that's the category Milton falls in to.

There's Other Teams in Need of a QB

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's no secret that quarterback is the most valuable position in the NFL, and teams in need of one could fork over some notable assets in order to acquire one.

The Cleveland Browns immediately come to mind. Deshaun Watson was just announced as Cleveland's starting quarterback for the 2026 season, beating out Shedeur Sanders, but it's hard to imagine him having any sort of bounce-back success this fall.

Watson isn't the long-term answer in Cleveland. Sanders likely isn't either.

The Cowboys could give the Browns another future option to work with in Milton, who won't carry the negative publicity of Watson or the unmatched spotlight that's followed Sanders.

Cowboys Backup QB Battle Remains Close Despite Joe Milton's Breakout

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Sam Howell (16) during the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the backup quarterback battle remains close despite the fact Milton lit up the Arizona defense at State Farm Stadium.

This gives Dallas even more of a reason to seek out a trade. If Milton's performance against the Cardinals isn't enough to secure him the QB2 job, than what will? After all, Howell was "a little bit ahead" of Milton based on training camp, per Schottenheimer.

"I think quite honestly, if you would just take the training camp competition, it's probably neck and neck, and Sam may be a little bit ahead. That's why we actually started Sam in the first game," Schottenheimer said.

If there wasn't a legitimate third option at quarterback, the question of trading Milton would be off the table. But the Cowboys went and got Howell this offseason for an obvious reason: the jury was still out on Milton.

Is Joe Milton III The Answer Once Dak Prescott Retires?

Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Joe Milton (10) and Dak Prescott (4) at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Cowboys truly thought that Milton was the next franchise quarterback in the post-Prescott era, they wouldn't have signed Howell earlier this offseason. Whoever will end up taking over for Prescott at some point simply isn't on the roster -- or maybe even in the league -- at this point.

When Dallas traded for Milton with the New England Patriots last offseason, the front office likely saw him as a potential candidate for that larger-than-life role, but it quickly became clear he was far too raw to

That's not to say Milton isn't a legit NFL talent, but a team like Dallas that has aspirations of ending a long Super Bowl drought can't afford to settle for anything less than Pro Bowl-level talent at quarterback.

— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —

Add us as a preferred source on Google