Former Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III drew high praise from Cowboys head coach Brian Shottenheimer in late May after Dallas acquired the rising second-year quarterback from New England in early April.
“He’s one of the first people in the building, he’s one of the last to leave,” Shottenheimer said of Milton in May. “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 (Grier), but really Dak, take a mentorship role with Joe. The talent speaks for itself, you guys will see it today. He made some incredible throws yesterday. He’s just an exciting young prospect that I think the sky is the limit for.”
But while Milton continues to sink his teeth into the Cowboys’ offense and polish his quarterback skills, a radio report on Tuesday suggests that Milton still has a bit more room to grow before the season if he wants to lock down the backup position behind starter Dak Prescott.
During the G-Bag Nation show on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon, Cowboys reporter Bobby Belt shared his latest on where Milton is in the process. Belt detailed a nice “deep crosser” that he threw during Tuesday’s practice in just his second throw, acknowledging that Milton is a likely candidate to end up “the training camp star” for the media and the fans this fall.
“I can already hear it now,” Belt said. “You’re going to hear so much of the ‘why isn’t Joe Milton starting? We should have Joe Milton starting.’ Because you’re going to see it. It’s going to look super impressive. He’s still coming along in the processing. To the point that, like, I wouldn’t be surprised if, if they had to go out and play football today, and Dak were to get hurt for some reason, I think Will Grier is coming in. I don’t know that it’s Joe Milton. And so I think that they’re at the point right now where they like the tools, they’re trying to get him comfortable, they’re trying to bring him along. Because the processing is still something that, you know, he speeds up, he speeds through that stuff really quickly and he looks a little frazzled. So he’s working on it. A work in progress. But physically, the way he throws the football is really impressive.”
Oh man. There is a certain section of #Cowboys fans that is going to go nuts after that Joe Milton note. https://t.co/5YAeOUd3Pa
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) June 10, 2025
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During one game with the Patriots during his rookie season last year, Milton looked impressive despite playing against a fair number of backups for the Buffalo Bills defense. The former Vol threw for 241 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-29 passing with a rushing touchdown added in as he highlighted his natural athleticism and arm strength on the field.
Plays like this from Joe Milton is why there should be 1 “that play rocked” rule where if a play is cool enough then the flag is picked up.
— Dylan Holt (@DylanHolt_) January 5, 2025
Milton has three years remaining on his rookie contract as he battles for the second-string spot at the Cowboys’ quarterback position with former Florida Gator Will Grier. With Prescott’s injury history, though, it’s not out of the question to believe that whoever the backup is could see some playing time on the field in the coming years in a replacement position.
Milton reunites with former Tennessee teammate Princeton Fant in Dallas and will play in a division that features WR Jalin Hyatt and CB Dee Williams (New York Giants).
#Cowboys Joe Milton doing a backflip in his full gear. Good lord 👀
Peak athleticism https://t.co/YUd7hmCZdd pic.twitter.com/RQzISfXlWV
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) June 5, 2025
One Response
Melton is a great player for the cowboys to get