Patriots Trade Rising QB to Cowboys

The New England Patriots have made a major move to their quarterback room.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are trading Joe Milton III to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a late-round draft pick.

Sources: The #Patriots are trading QB Joe Milton to the #Cowboys in exchange for late-round draft pick compensation.

A new backup for Dak Prescott, Milton went 22 of 29 for 241 yards and a TD in Week 18 last year, a New England win. The potential is there. Now, a new home. pic.twitter.com/LA8YAOeUIn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 3, 2025

The full deal sends Milton and a seventh-round selection to the Cowboys, while the Patriots secure a fifth-round pick in return.

Milton was selected by New England in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 193rd pick out of Tennessee, and managed to suit up for the final game of the season against the Buffalo Bills to showcase an impressive, eye-catching day.

During that game, he completed 22 of his 29 passes, logging 241 passing yards, collecting two total touchdowns in the process. That Week 18 performance snowballed into many teams around the league taking notice of the signal caller's services, and now, Milton is heading to the Cowboys to line up as Dak Prescott's backup.

It makes for an interesting situation in Dallas, as their quarterback room now consists Prescott as the starter, while Milton becomes a QB2 candidate as veteran Will Grier is also stationed with the Cowboys. Once training camp and preseason begins to unfold, one would imagine this team would have a better sense of how their position group actually shakes out

As for the Patriots, their quarterback room for next season looks to be held down by the budding star in Drake Maye, and now with a new veteran signing of Joshua Dobbs on a two-year deal to back him up.

Trading an appealing, young name like Milton is a tough trigger to pull. However, instead of letting a piece with trade interest sit as a backup behind Maye on the roster for the foreseeable future, the Patriots decided to cash in on their second-year quarterback, effectively moving up the board on day three of this year's draft in the process.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!