Milton reportedly viewed himself as starter, as good or better than 2024 first-round pick Drake Maye, and the Patriots weren't going to give him a shot at the job. The Patriots added veteran Josh Dobbs to backup Maye this season, so the Patriots sent Milton to the Cowboys for a 2025 fifth-round pick.

The reasons for the Patriots’ surprise trade of their backup quarterback are coming into view. New England dealt Joe Milton to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick earlier in April, and while meeting with the media on Tuesday, head coach Mike Vrabel explained why the team did what it did.

Bottom line. Milton is an athletic and strong-armed prospect who wanted a chance to compete with first-rounder Maye. So the Pats sidestepped any potential conflict there by giving him away to a Dallas team that just happened to be looking for a “developmental’ backup.