Cowboys Have Clear Trade Option to Replace Joe Milton Instantly

When the Cowboys threw $240 million over four years at Dak Prescott before the 2024 season, they weren’t just extending a quarterback they were doubling down on a marriage they can’t really get out of until at least 2028. Dak is The Guy™ the face of the franchise, the would-be Super Bowl savior. Of course, that’s assuming he actually stays on the field, which, last year, he didn’t. Eight games and done. The second Prescott limped off, so did the Cowboys’ playoff hopes.

So, naturally, you’d think Dallas would treat the backup quarterback position with the seriousness of, say, oxygen. But no. Instead, they watched Cooper Rush pack his bags for Baltimore and Trey Lance catch the next flight to Los Angeles, while other young QBs like Jaxson Dart’s preseason breakthrough are forcing teams to think twice about their depth charts. They scooped him up from the Patriots, a quarterback who looks less like a safety net and more like a ‘project’ you’d buy from IKEA lots of confusing pieces, potential if you squint, but no instructions and half the screws missing.

Milton has been the preseason guinea pig, taking most of the snaps. And the results? Let’s just say Cowboys fans have probably stopped watching. Barely completing half his throws, tossing more picks (two) than touchdowns (one), and generally leading the offense like he’s trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. Preseason doesn’t matter, sure, but when your QB2 looks like he’s auditioning for a blooper reel, it’s hard to keep a straight face especially when other players, like Roman Wilson’s electric preseason showing, are silencing doubters in style. Which is why the idea of bringing in Jarrett Stidham yes, that Jarrett Stidham suddenly feels like a masterstroke.

Now, before you laugh: no one’s saying Stidham is secretly Tom Brady in witness protection. In five seasons, he’s started all of four games, posted an uninspiring 59.4 percent completion rate, and owns a perfectly symmetrical touchdown-to-interception ratio of 8-to-8. That’s not a résumé it’s a cry for help. But and here’s the twist he’s been tearing up the 2025 preseason.

Against the 49ers, Stidham looked like Joe Montana’s long-lost cousin: 14-of-15, 136 yards, two touchdowns. He followed it up by torching the Cardinals for 240 yards. Through two games, he’s nearly 79 percent on completions, with four touchdowns and zero picks. Yes, I know preseason stats are basically Monopoly money, but for a team evaluating roster spots, like the Chiefs quarterback roster bubble, those numbers still turn heads. At least Stidham has been carving up first-team defenses, which is more than Milton can say. Credit Sean Payton’s influence if you like, but the guy actually looked competent something the Cowboys haven’t seen behind Prescott in, well, forever.

Would the Broncos trade him? Probably not. He’s their Bo Nix insurance policy, and unless Denver is in the mood to do Jerry Jones a solid (spoiler: they’re not), he’s staying put much like how the Panthers’ interest in a local preseason standout has made them reluctant to part with their young depth. But if there’s even a sliver of daylight, Dallas should be hammering the phone.

Because here’s the reality: Milton is exciting in theory, like a lottery ticket you know you’re never cashing. Stidham, meanwhile, is boring, seasoned, and at least capable of running an NFL offense without collapsing on national television. If Prescott goes down again and history suggests that’s not exactly far-fetched the Cowboys are really going to trust Milton with their season? That’s not bold. That’s reckless.

No one’s saying cut Milton. Keep him around, develop him, stash him at QB3 where his growing pains won’t set your season on fire. But as QB2? That’s malpractice. If the Cowboys can upgrade to Stidham, they shouldn’t think twice. Jerry Jones has made plenty of questionable moves over the years, sometimes even avoiding punishment in bizarre ways just ask about CeeDee Lamb’s unexpected reprieve but this one’s a no-brainer, assuming he still remembers what one looks like.