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The Cowboys face several roster decisions.
The Dallas Cowboys made a significant move this offseason to have some insurance behind Dak Prescott heading into 2025. Prescott is coming off a season-ending hamstring injury, and the Cowboys struck a trade with the New England Patriots for Joe Milton.
The deal puts Will Grier’s future in doubt as the veteran battles Milton for the backup quarterback gig. It remains to be seen if Dallas will keep three quarterbacks as the team finalizes their 53-man roster ahead of Week 1. USA Today’s Ben Grimaldi projects Milton will win the QB2 role and predicts the team will cut Grier.
“There shouldn’t be much surprise in these two taking the quarterback spots for the Cowboys,” Grimaldi wrote in a June 18, 2025, story titled, “53-man roster prediction for the Dallas Cowboys after OTAs and minicamp.” “(Prescott) is among the best QBs in the league and the team traded for Milton to be his backup.
“There had been some buzz about Will Grier possibly being behind Prescott, but that would be a major surprise. Milton’s tools, athleticism, and work ethic will earn him the QB2 role.”
Here is what you need to know about the Cowboys quarterback battle.
There Are Mixed Predictions on the Cowboys Backup QB Battle Between Joe Milton & Will Grier
Not everyone is on the same page about the Dallas backup quarterback spot. Athlon Sports’ Mike Fisher projects Grier will not only earn a roster spot, but beat out Milton for the backup gig.
“The big watch here, is who will back him (Prescott) up,” Fisher detailed in a May 19, story titled, “George Pickens Leads New Cowboys 53-Man Roster Projection.”
“Grier returns to the Cowboys still under contract, but has seen very little time away from the practice squad. He does have familiarity with the building over sophomore stud Joe Milton, however, who was acquired in a trade with New England earlier this offseason. Backup quarterback is one of many competitions throughout the roster worth keeping tabs on at camp.”
Grier was once mentioned as a potential first-round pick after a standout college football career at West Virginia. Ultimately, Grier fell to the third round of the 2019 NFL draft where the Carolina Panthers selected the quarterback with the No. 100 overall pick.
Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer on Joe Milton: ‘He’s One of the First People in the Building’
As for Heavy Sports, if forced to pick, it makes sense to go with the quarterback who the Cowboys just gave up draft capital to land. It also helps that Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has spoken glowingly about Milton.
TRENDING: #Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer took Dak Prescott, Joe Milton, Will Grier, and their families to learn how to do Greek dancing.
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Schottenheimer has completely changed the culture in Dallas.
“I was excited about Joe before we got him,” Schottenheimer noted on May 21, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “When you go into these deals and you’re talking about making trades, we all reach out to people that you know, people that you trust, people that have been exposed to said player at college, different programs, friends that have been around him.
“… But from the time he’s been here, the work ethic is incredible. He’s one of the first people in the building. He’s one of the last to leave. The way he’s attacked the playbook and picking it up has been incredible. And it’s been fun for me to watch Dak and Will, but really Dak take a mentorship role with Joe.”
Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams
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