The Dallas Cowboys took a chance by making a quarterback trade this offseason. Yet, Joe Milton’s performance during the preseason was a bit of a mixed bag.
Dallas also has the luxury of having Will Grier on the team’s practice squad. One team with a giant question mark at quarterback is the Cincinnati Bengals following Joe Burrow’s injury.
Could the Bengals be interested in taking a flier on Milton? The Cowboys traded a fifth rounder to acquire Milton from the New England Patriots.
Milton has not done much to boost his trade value during his short tenure in Big D. Dallas is likely looking at a similar return of a fifth or sixth-round pick from the Bengals for Milton in this hypothetical trade pitch.
Let’s dive into how this trade would play out for the Cowboys and Bengals.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow Is Expected to Miss at Least 3 Months
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Burrow is expected to miss at least three months, putting the star’s status in doubt for the season. Cincinnati is not just looking at quarterback help for a few games but the majority of 2025. The good news is the Bengals are off to a 2-0 start.
Following Burrow’s injury, the Bengals signed a pair of veteran signal-callers in Sean Clifford and Mike White. Jake Browning is expected to start for the Bengals during Burrow’s absence. Brett Rypien was also moved up to the active roster from the team’s practice squad.
Would Cowboys QB Joe Milton Be an Upgrade for the Bengals?
The big question is whether Milton would be an upgrade over the Bengals‘ current quarterback rotation. Browning offers Cincinnati more experience with nine career NFL starts.
Candidly, Browning is more of a known commodity than Milton and would likely be a preferred starter while Burrow is sidelined. Yet, Milton would be a strong developmental option behind Browning instead of Clifford, White and Rypien as all three quarterbacks have spent their careers in and out of the NFL.
Milton threw for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions during his final college football season at Tennessee in 2023. The quarterback added 299 rushing yards and 7 TDs on the ground.
The Cowboys Could Turn to Will Grier if Dallas Traded Joe Milton
Milton may have one of the strongest arms in the NFL, but accuracy continues to be a question mark. The quarterback threw for 397 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 55% of his passes in three preseason games for the Cowboys.
Dallas named Milton the team’s backup behind Prescott, but a strong argument can be made that Grier looked like the better quarterback during the preseason. The Cowboys are betting on Milton’s upside and developing the second-year quarterback behind Prescott.
When Milton was named the backup, head coach Brian Schottenheimer did not sound like the decision was set in stone, leaving the door open for an additional move.
“We know Dak’s our starter and Joe’s the backup,” Schottenheimer noted in August, per Cowboys Wire. “It wasn’t perfect, but we feel very good about Joe and his direction and where he can go.
“… Nothing says we’re not done looking around the league at all spots and not just quarterback. There’s going to be a lot of names out there in a lot of different positions and that process has already started.”
Chances of the Cowboys moving on from Milton this early are slim, but Dallas is already stockpiling draft picks thanks to the Micah Parsons trade. Adding another late-round selection could make some sense for Dallas if the team is confident in Grier as QB2 behind Prescott.
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