Proposed Trade Has Cowboys Deal Former 27-TD Dual-Threat QB to Contender
The Dallas Cowboys took a chance by making a quarterback trade this offseason. Yet, Joe Milton’s performance during the preseason was a bit of a mixed bag.
Dallas also has the luxury of having Will Grier on the team’s practice squad. One team with a giant question mark at quarterback is the Cincinnati Bengals following Joe Burrow’s injury.
Could the Bengals be interested in taking a flier on Milton? The Cowboys traded a fifth rounder to acquire Milton from the New England Patriots.
Milton has not done much to boost his trade value during his short tenure in Big D. Dallas is likely looking at a similar return of a fifth or sixth-round pick from the Bengals for Milton in this hypothetical trade pitch.
Let’s dive into how this trade would play out for the Cowboys and Bengals.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow Is Expected to Miss at Least 3 Months
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Burrow is expected to miss at least three months, putting the star’s status in doubt for the season. Cincinnati is not just looking at quarterback help for a few games but the majority of 2025. The good news is the Bengals are off to a 2-0 start.
Following Burrow’s injury, the Bengals signed a pair of veteran signal-callers in Sean Clifford and Mike White. Jake Browning is expected to start for the Bengals during Burrow’s absence. Brett Rypien was also moved up to the active roster from the team’s practice squad.
Would Cowboys QB Joe Milton Be an Upgrade for the Bengals?
The big question is whether Milton would be an upgrade over the Bengals’ current quarterback rotation. Browning offers Cincinnati more experience with nine career NFL starts.
Candidly, Browning is more of a known commodity than Milton and would likely be a preferred starter while Burrow is sidelined. Yet, Milton would be a strong developmental option behind Browning instead of Clifford, White and Rypien as all three quarterbacks have spent their careers in and out of the NFL.
Milton threw for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions during his final college football season at Tennessee in 2023. The quarterback added 299 rushing yards and 7 TDs on the ground.
The Cowboys Could Turn to Will Grier if Dallas Traded Joe Milton
Milton may have one of the strongest arms in the NFL, but accuracy continues to be a question mark. The quarterback threw for 397 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 55% of his passes in three preseason games for the Cowboys.
Dallas named Milton the team’s backup behind Prescott, but a strong argument can be made that Grier looked like the better quarterback during the preseason. The Cowboys are betting on Milton’s upside and developing the second-year quarterback behind Prescott.
When Milton was named the backup, head coach Brian Schottenheimer did not sound like the decision was set in stone, leaving the door open for an additional move.
“We know Dak’s our starter and Joe’s the backup,” Schottenheimer noted in August, per Cowboys Wire. “It wasn’t perfect, but we feel very good about Joe and his direction and where he can go.
“… Nothing says we’re not done looking around the league at all spots and not just quarterback. There’s going to be a lot of names out there in a lot of different positions and that process has already started.”
Chances of the Cowboys moving on from Milton this early are slim, but Dallas is already stockpiling draft picks thanks to the Micah Parsons trade. Adding another late-round selection could make some sense for Dallas if the team is confident in Grier as QB2 behind Prescott.
Pete Carroll Sends Strong Message on QB Geno Smith After 3-Interception Game
The Chargers defense flummoxed Geno Smith all night Monday.
Geno Smith’s gunslinging was on full display Monday night, which prompted his longtime head coach Pete Carroll to speak out about his quarterback’s inability to protect the ball.
Carroll criticized Smith’s ball-protection skills after the Las Vegas Raiders QB did not lead a touchdown drive and threw three interceptions in their 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.
Smith was 24 for 43 (55.8 percent) for 180 yards, no touchdowns and the three picks in the Raiders’ home opener. He now leads the NFL in interceptions (4) and is tied for 22nd in completion percentage (62.3) through two weeks.
What Did Pete Carroll Say About Geno Smith’s Three-Interception Game?
Carroll has been steadfast in his love and loyalty toward Smith. But even he couldn’t defend the way his QB played.
According to Pro-Football Reference, Smith made nine bad throws on his 43 attempts Monday, a stat made worse by the fact he was only pressured just six times — fewer than the eight pressures the New England Patriots registered against him in the Raiders’ surprising Week 1 win.
“We always talk that way of taking what the defense gives you,” Carroll said Wednesday about Smith’s attempt to fit the ball into tight windows. “It’s when things get off rhythm sometimes, that’s when the quarterback needs to decide and always protect the football first.
“We need to do a better job in that, and Geno knows that and I know that. We didn’t get that done.”
It was Smith’s fifth-career three-INT game but just his second in the past 10 years — he also threw three picks against the Los Angeles Rams last year. Smith also said the film was “tough to watch” but saw ways he could improve from his mistakes
“[There were] a lot of things I wish I would have done better personally,” Smith said. “You can never just flush that, you’ve got to learn from it. I watched it over 10 times and just tried to figure out things I need to be better, which was a lot of things that were obvious: Being more accurate, taking what the defense gave me, not being so aggressive.”
What Did Geno Smith Say About Being Aggressive?
That Smith made that many bad throws Monday night was newsworthy, since his 12.4 percent career bad-throw shows he has been one of the best at limiting unforced errors over his career. He’s done that by taking an honest appraisal of his efforts.
“Being hard on yourself and understanding that’s not the standard, and it’s never going to be the standard,” Smith said of how he’s been great at not letting bad games snowball. “Really having to be honest with myself and not letting that carry over.”
So after making just three bad throws, and capitalizing on chunk play after chunk play in the Raiders’ 20-13 win in New England, Smith may have been feeling himself a bit too much. The Chargers brought him back to earth.
“I think we might’ve overdid it a little bit. We had a lot of explosives in Week 1, and obviously we wanted to carry that over,” Smith said. “Being efficient is the No. 1 thing, and I thought the efficiency wasn’t there, and that would have led to more explosives if we were more efficient.
“Take what they give me. It’s that simple.”
The Raiders will be on the road against the Washington Commanders, who just allowed 404 yards to the Green Bay Packers in their Week 2 loss at Lambeau Field.
But despite the shorter week after the late kickoff Monday, Smith said he is chomping at the bit to get on the field against Washington.
“I think the shorter week actually helps you,” Smith said. “The faster we can get to the game, the faster we can get that bad taste out your mouth.”
