Cowboys want to get Milton plenty of snaps before deciding if he will be Prescott's backup

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Joe Milton likely would have played every snap in the Dallas Cowboys’ preseason opener on Saturday if the second-year quarterback had not sustained a minor elbow injury late in the 31-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

That extensive workload could continue in the two remaining exhibition games, in part to give Milton more time to develop and in part so coach Brian Schottenheimer can continue to learn about the 25-year-old passer.

“You saw Joe needs the reps,” Schottenheimer said Monday. “You saw the way he started the game. You saw the way it was a little bit of a struggle for us early on. He was throwing the ball hot and hard and all those things. And we finally settled in.”

Milton was 17 of 29 passing for 143 yards with one touchdown and one interception, adding 22 yards rushing on five carries in his debut for the Cowboys after being acquired in an April trade from the New England Patriots.

A sixth-round draft pick in 2024, Milton is competing with Will Grier to be the backup behind Dak Prescott. Milton's showing against the Rams highlighted both the risk and potential rewards that could come with letting him be the next man up.

Milton missed four of his first six throws, with his two completions netting 1 yard. Schottenheimer said he was responsible for the early struggles by asking Milton to come out throwing.

“He was revved up,” Schottenheimer said. “A lot of those guys get revved up, first preseason game, want to go and set the world on fire. And it’s not about that, and that goes for play callers too. ‘Let’s go put 50 on these guys.’ It’s like no, not that. But I think he settled down and he found his rhythm.”

Schottenheimer wouldn’t have made those mistakes with Prescott or Grier given his previous familiarity with them as an analyst and offensive coordinator for the Cowboys. With Milton, Schottenheimer is still trying to get a sense of what works and what doesn’t.

“And I think that’s part of the relationship, and that’s why you guys always ask about the relationship with me and Dak,” Schottenheimer said. “And Joe’s an incredible competitor, and such a bright future, but I’m still learning him.”

That means understanding how Milton plays the position. He unleashed a deep ball that resulted in a 51-yard pass interference penalty early in the second quarter, showing arm strength that Schottenheimer has said is comparable to Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. Milton also had several plays highlighting a knack for scrambling or extending plays with his legs.

But those abilities also got Milton in trouble. He struggled at times with a desire to look for the big play instead of moving through progressions and taking yardage on underneath throws. The Rams also had pass rush schemes looking to limit Milton’s movement, something they knew about following a joint practice with the Cowboys last Tuesday. That led to him occasionally drifting too deep in the pocket.

“When you’re playing a Joe Milton or a Josh Allen or somebody like that, they’re going to rush them differently,” Schottenheimer said. "They’re going to contain rush, you know, where they’re going to keep the edges wide so that you can’t escape that way. So the escape path for an athletic guy like Joe would be to move up to go out.”

Those struggles are to be expected from a quarterback with limited game experience. Milton was a one-year starter in his six seasons in college at both Michigan and Tennessee, operating a wide-open Volunteers offense.

Milton started the 2024 season finale for the Patriots, completing 75.9% of his passes for 241 yards and one touchdown and running for another in a win over the Buffalo Bills.

Schottenheimer is not sharing his impressions of where the competition between Milton and Grier stands.

“And I’m not going to say who the backup running back is right now, who the backup quarterback is right now, because I don’t have to make those decisions yet,” Schottenheimer said.

And while Milton is getting the majority of the work, Grier made the most of limited snaps against the Rams by running for a touchdown in his one drive in relief.

Grier also performed well in the scrimmage with Los Angeles after replacing Milton, who hurt his thumb making contact with a Rams defender.

“Same thing this game, Will wasn’t planning on playing very much, if at all. And next thing you know, he’s got to go in. Couple shoulder shrugs, and away he goes, and uses his feet, a little Fran Tarkenton, little ball fake and all that stuff. Again, we’re going to let these guys all compete,” Schottenheimer said.

“And it’s not a negative against Will Grier that he’s not getting the reps. I’ve been around Will Grier for a couple years now, you know. We know who Will Grier is. We are not surprised when he goes in and does that. It’s figuring out more the Joe Milton (part), it’s the unknowns more than the competition.”

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