Quarterback Joe Milton is back on the open market after clearing waivers on Tuesday, one day after the Dallas Cowboys released him. The move was made to accommodate the addition of running back Emari Demercado. Milton, who was with the Cowboys last season, had been the subject of trade discussions prior to the league's cutdown day, according to reports.
Now a free agent, Milton is eligible to sign with any of the 32 NFL teams. However, the Cowboys organization, including head coach Brian Schottenheimer, has expressed interest in bringing Milton back. Sources indicate that Dallas would be open to re-signing him, potentially to their practice squad if a better opportunity doesn't materialize elsewhere.
MILTON'S PRESEASON PERFORMANCE
Milton, a sixth-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2024, had a strong preseason showing. He completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Despite this performance, the Cowboys opted to prioritize Sam Howell as the primary backup to veteran quarterback Dak Prescott.
"Joe obviously played really good in the preseason games," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told "All DLLS Cowboys." "We really liked his performance. Sam did as well. But at the end of the day, when you took the full body of work in training camp, the practices against other teams, the coaches thought — albeit really close — Sam was the best choice for the team to go with as two now."
Jones added that the team might have the flexibility to carry three quarterbacks given their roster situation and defensive schemes. "We’d love to have Joe back. A lot of teams in this league figure out ways to carry three and four [quarterbacks]. We’ve got a lot of stress on our roster with this new defense and things that we’re doing that we can carry two [quarterbacks]. We’re in talks with Joe. We’ll see if he gets claimed. If he doesn’t, we’d love to have Joe back as our three and on the practice squad."
In his five regular season NFL games, Milton has completed 69.8 percent of his passes, throwing for two touchdowns and two interceptions. The team is currently in discussions with Milton to see if a reunion is possible now that he has cleared waivers.