An NFL team has to know things aren’t going great when their starting quarterback receives a grade of “D” for his performance in his second preseason game — and the grade comes from the quarterback himself. But that is exactly what happened to the Dallas Cowboys and aspiring back-up quarterback Joe Milton III on Saturday.

The Cowboys acquired the 25-year-old, 2024 sixth-round draft pick from the New England Patriots in April, after backup quarterback Cooper Rush departed to sign a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

Second Straight Shaky Preseason Start for Milton

The idea was for Milton to compete with journeyman practice squad QB Will Grier for the No. 2 quarterback spot behind three-time Pro Bowl QB Dak Prescott. And the second-year signal caller, with three years to go on his $4.2 million rookie contract, appeared to be the favorite to win the job.

But two consecutive shaky preseason starts has created doubt around Milton’s future with the Cowboys. In Saturday’s showdown at AT&T Stadium against the Ravens, Milton was thoroughly outplayed by the former Cowboy he was brought in to replace.

“Again, the bad plays outweighed the good,” wrote Jon Machota of The Athletic. “And with only one preseason game remaining, the Cowboys can’t feel like Milton has done enough to have secured the No. 2 job behind Dak Prescott.”

Milton Outplayed by Ex-Cowboys QB He Replaced

Rush got the start for Baltimore and completed 20 of 30 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown — though he did throw two interceptions including a Pick 6 by Dallas cornerback Andrew Booth – as he led the Ravens to a 31-13 victory in Week Two of the three-week NFL preseason.

Milton, on the other hand, struggled to a nine-of-18 passing day for just 122 yards and an interception. He did not throw a touchdown pass — but he was sacked in the end zone for a safety early in the first quarter.

Keyon Martin sacks Joe Milton for a safety pic.twitter.com/DHtKWBX8DN

— Pick 6 Pack (@Pick6PackFB) August 16, 2025

‘Bazooka Joe’ Shows Off Cannon Arm, With Mixed Results

Known for his extreme athleticism, Milton was able to show off his rocket arm — but it didn’t always end well. On one play, late in the second quarter and the ball on the Baltimore 41, Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer turned Milton loose.

The former Tennessee Volunteers QB effortlessly unleashed a toss from behind the 50 yard line all way to about five yards deep in the Ravens’ end zone — straight into the arms of Baltimore undrafted rookie cornerback Reuben Lowery.

After the game, Schottenheimer spoke frankly about Milton’s outing, stopping short of giving the 6-foot-5, 246-pound QB a full endorsement — but not dismissing Milton’s prospects to win the backup job either.

Head Coach Not ‘Panicked’ About Milton. Yet

“I wouldn’t say I’m concerned (about Milton),” Schottenheimer told reporters. “I think we came out with a little bit of a different mindset in terms of trying to run the ball, though they got him. They showed down and brought the blitz from the other side and just spooked him. He’s got to try to throw the ball away. It wasn’t just him. We’ve got to be able to run the ball better. We’ve got to take care of the ball.”

Schottenheimer also shrugged off any comparisons between Milton and Rush.

“Cooper Rush has played in this league a long time. What he did tonight didn’t surprise anyone in the first half,” the first-year coach said, as quoted by CBS Sports. “I’ve seen him do that for the last three years. Joe Milton is in Year Two. So again, I’m not panicked. It’s not just them. It’s us as coaches, it’s the other players. It’s all of it.”