NFL news: Cowboys reportedly acquire quarterback from Patriots

The Dallas Cowboys acquired quarterback Joe Milton from the New England Patriots in a trade on Thursday, per numerous reports. 

The Patriots traded Milton and a seventh-round pick in exchange for the Cowboys’ fifth-round compensatory pick, per ESPN.

Milton, 25, started one game for the Patriots last season after being selected by the team in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. 

Milton’s lone start for the Patriots came in Week 18, when they played the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots won that game 23-16 and Milton impressed in the win, albeit playing against mostly backups and depth players for the Bills as they had clinched their seed in the AFC playoffs.

In the win, Milton completed 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown, while he ran for 16 yards and a touchdown as well. 

The Patriots signed quarterback Josh Dobbs in free agency to be their backup behind Drake Maye, which made Milton available for trade. 

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With Dak Prescott as the starting quarterback, Milton will slide in as the team’s backup quarterback. Cooper Rush and Trey Lance backed up Prescott last year and the pair started a combined nine games after Prescott sustained a hamstring injury in Week 9 that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. 

However, Rush departed for the Baltimore Ravens in free agency while Lance still remains a free agent. 

With the reported addition of Milton and the departure of Rush, the Cowboys quarterback room now consists of Prescott, Milton and Will Grier. Grier has only appeared in two NFL games since being drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2019. 

Milton earned the nickname “Bazooka Joe” because of his strong throwing arm. In his final season at Tennessee, he completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,813 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. 

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