The Dallas Cowboys have high hopes for Dak Prescott as their long-term starting quarterback, but entering a season without a backup isn’t an option. Following the 2024 season, the Cowboys couldn’t hold onto either Cooper Rush or Trey Lance, leaving Prescott as the sole quarterback in Dallas for now.

Given Prescott’s injury history over three of the past five seasons, it’s crucial to bring in a backup who is prepared to play. Additionally, with Prescott now the priciest quarterback in the league, finding an economical backup is essential. Although the NFL Draft sometimes offers such opportunities, this doesn’t appear to be a promising year for selecting quarterbacks late in the draft.

Luckily, the New England Patriots might have a potential answer for Dallas. On Saturday, Tony Camino from NFL Trade Rumors suggested that the Cowboys could trade two 2025 fifth-round picks to the Patriots in exchange for 2024 sixth-rounder Joe Milton, who shined in his only start as a rookie in New England’s last game of the season.

Camino stated, “In what is expected to be a weaker quarterback class, Dallas would likely need to use a top-100 pick to acquire a talent with potential to back up Prescott in the near term. Instead, the Cowboys could consider using two of their three fifth-round selections to secure a player with more promise than nearly any option in this class.”

Milton, at 25, is considered to have possibly the strongest arm in the NFL, although he hasn’t had many opportunities to demonstrate its effectiveness at this level. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 246 pounds, he also possesses the agility to evade pressure and gain yardage with scrambles. The question remains whether the Patriots are willing to trade Milton into a role where he is expected to be the backup, and to be fair, there aren’t many teams left without a confirmed starter.