Joe Milton III isn’t sugarcoating his NFL beginnings with the Dallas Cowboys. After joining “America’s Team” in a headline-making trade from New England, the second-year quarterback didn’t hesitate when asked to evaluate his early performance: “I feel like I would give myself a C in OTAs, so I feel like I just needed to improve from that for sure.”
That humble self-assessment comes from a player who set the NFL buzzing in his Week 18 debut for the Patriots, earning a jaw-dropping 95.8 PFF grade-the highest of any quarterback in 2024.
Now, he’s wearing Cowboys blue, and although he’s still adjusting, Milton says there’s no place he’d rather be. “Definitely, I prefer it here,” he said. “That’s something me and my team put together.”
Dak is impressed with Milton
His arrival hasn’t gone unnoticed in Dallas. Starting QB Dak Prescott was quick to praise the young gunslinger, saying, “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone throw the ball like that.”
But Prescott sees Milton as more than a strong arm-he sees a competitor who raises the standard. “He’s not complacent… all that does is push myself, push this offense.”
Milton is competing with Will Grier for the backup role, but his admiration for Prescott is clear. “Dak is a great leader… All respect to him. He literally goes out of his way to help me,” Milton said.
It’s the kind of veteran mentorship that’s helping him build confidence in a complex but familiar-feeling offense, which he compared to the systems he learned in high school and college. “One word is a whole concept… it’s pretty good to have that type of system,” he added.
Milton has great potential
After a standout college career and a brief stint behind Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett in New England, Milton sees Dallas as the ideal place to grow.
Not just because he’s a lifelong Cowboys fan, but because the coaching staff-including head coach Brian Schottenheimer-is already seeing big potential in the 6’5″ QB. “High-upside” is how Schottenheimer described him.
Despite his modest self-grade, reports from Cowboys minicamp show promise-Milton reportedly went 7-for-8 passing during one session. And with more preseason reps ahead, the buzz is only getting louder.
Joe Milton has the arm, the attitude, and the opportunity. And with Dak Prescott guiding him and the Cowboys dreaming of a Super Bowl, don’t be surprised if Milton’s “C” turns into an “A” before long.
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