After spending his rookie year in the NFL with the New England Patriots, former Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III was traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason. It was in Jerry Jones’ best interest to sure up the backup situation behind Dak Prescott, and Milton seemingly wanted to be a Cowboy.
Milton now enters his first full training camp with the Cowboys in Oxnard, CA, in a battle for the second-string spot with former Florida quarterback Will Grier.
The former Tennessee quarterback did go through practice sessions with the Cowboys back in June as he worked to pick up the new system under head coach Brian Schottenheimer. During that practice slate, 105.3 The Fan’s Bobby Belt said that the Cowboys were still working on getting acclimated, suggesting that Grier would be holding the second-string spot if the season were happening then and there.
“He’s still coming along in the processing,” Belt said of Milton. “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.”
That competition should see some progress this month in Oxnard and throughout the preseason, though.
“Joe Milton is expected to get a lot of reps in the preseason,” The Athletic’s Jon Machota posted to X on Tuesday. “Should be entertaining.”
For a backup quarterback competing for the second-string spot, Milton was one of the big highlights on social media on the opening day of camp. He completed some of his patented deep throws around the field, which drew the attention of the Cowboys reporters on X. During one deep throw to the right side of the field, Milton immediately ran up and began jawing with some of the Dallas defenders.
Joe Milton with a big play down the field and then has something to say about it ! pic.twitter.com/xpFCiRDjAY
— Nick Eatman (@nickeatman) July 22, 2025
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Here’s a look at some of the big plays (some from different angles) from Milton’s first day of Cowboys training camp:
Joe Milton to Jonathan Mingo pic.twitter.com/RCYTEC4Mbk
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) July 22, 2025
Joe Milton pic.twitter.com/Qsj7ee6zmY
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 22, 2025
Joe Milton is expected to get a lot of reps in the preseason. Should be entertaining pic.twitter.com/r3pzYV5WW7
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 23, 2025
Joe Milton to Jalen Tolbert pic.twitter.com/49jkRywA9v
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 22, 2025
Cowboys quarterback Will Grier spent one year at Florida before finishing his career with West Virginia. During his lone 2015 season with the Gators, he threw for 1,204 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions on 65.8% passing.
His only recorded NFL stats have come during the 2019 season, when he threw for 228 yards in two games for the Carolina Panthers.
Grier is a good player to have in the quarterback room, but the backup position does look to be Milton’s for the taking if he can get things together before the season. He’ll have a lot of eyes on him during camp in the preseason, though, so we should have plenty of reports on his progress as he battles for the backup spot.
With Dak Prescott’s injury history, there’s a chance we could see Milton on the field for the Cowboys at some point this season if he does win the competition with Grier.
