The Cowboys thought they had made the smart choice. Between Joe Milton III and Sam Howell, Milton had lower chances of being snapped up by a team on the waiver wire. More importantly, it was the financially sound decision. That’s why they tried to sneak him through.
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But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Coach Schottenheimer knew it. “Quarterback rooms around the league are pretty crowded right now, but he’s certainly talented enough to get claimed. It’s our good fortune that he wasn’t.”
What he didn’t say was that there was one team that nearly came close to signing him.
“I was told that Miami was a team that were calling about your quarterbacks on Sunday,” Bryan Broaddus said on Trust the Tape. “But they also traded for the guy in Green Bay (Kyle McCord). But Miami was a team that was calling.”
And we can certainly see why. In the preseason, Milton recorded 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards and scored three touchdowns, while Howell completed 27 of 40 passes for 314 yards, also scoring three touchdowns, including a rushing touchdown.
Schottenheimer had said previously the two had been going “neck-and-neck” in the QB2 battle, but the head coach ultimately picked Howell, the more experienced among the two. But what teams saw was a QB in the rough, including reported interest from the Jets.
Milton is a QB known for his strong arm. During his days in college, Tennessee Volunteers wide receivers revealed that his throws ripped their gloves. Milton even claimed he had thrown for 90 yards once. And he kept that intensity in the preseason games.
That arm proved difficult to control last season, but in the preseason, he’d found a way to channel his power best. He threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Mingo in the preseason clash vs the Arizona Cardinals. He told The Ringer earlier that the farthest he can throw is 91 yards.
And yet, he was dropped. According to Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins, Milton was reportedly “unhappy” at getting waived. Former cornerback Asante Samuel, like many, was angry at the decision too, saying that the franchise “dragged Joe Milton’s value down to the ground, knowing they would get him back to the practice squad, and no other team will use his talent to potentially beat up on the Dallas Cowboys.”
QB1 Dak Prescott, however, expressed his happiness on Milton’s return, saying the Cowboys were “fortunate” he didn’t get picked off waivers, and the team was getting a “h*** of a player” back.
Milton now has a real shot at impressing the staff if Prescott or Howell are injured in the season and he gets a chance to play. He can also firmly secure a spot for himself next year if he balls out in the opportunities he gets. Asante Samuel even sees him as someone who can do better than Prescott.
“Joe Milton III brings more to the table than Dak Prescott. That’s just the truth. The most intriguing thing I noticed about Joe Milton in the huddle is he looks like the biggest player, the biggest athlete out there on offense. He is a very big dude. Just having to tackle him on defenses is a tough task. He’s a weapon to have on the team, and I can’t believe how many teams that needed a legit quarterback refused to require Joe Milton.”
Milton has been on a journey of ups and downs up to now. But seeing his coach and his team being excited to have him back and continue to develop him, his complaints and frustration should soon turn into motivation.