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Joe Milton III may see his days in Dallas numbered.

Last year, the New England Patriots took a flyer with the 193rd overall pick in the draft, selecting controversial Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton III.

The Patriots has already used the No. 3 overall pick to take their presumed quarterback of the future, Drake Maye out of North Carolina, but New England executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said that Milton simply had “too much talent” to pass by, once it was clear Milton would still be available.

Milton Struggling Mightily in Cowboys Audition

Now, with Milton struggling in the preseason with his new team, the Dallas Cowboys, and said by one commentator to be “already on thin ice” and “losing his grip on [his] roster spot,” there may be scenario that sees the rocket-armed 25-year-old back with the Patriots.

The very idea seems far fetched, to say the least. New head coach Mike Vrabel seemed in rush to unload Milton, sending him in early April along with a seventh-round pick to Dallas, getting only a fifth-rounder in return.

Then, on Milton’s way out the door, several items appeared in the Boston media making derogatory accusations about his character.

The reports, which appeared to originate with whispers from inside the Patriots organization, accused Milton of feeling resentful that he was not given a chance to compete with Maye for the starter’s job, showing that he had a “sense of entitlement,” and was — according to one anonymous allegation — “not a good dude.”

Return Scenario Improbable, But Not Totally

Why would the Patriots want him back?

On closer examination, the Milton return scenario may not be quite as improbable as it seems (though it remains, admittedly, improbable).

Despite his extreme athletic talents and a throwing arm described by one NFL personnel executive as perhaps the strongest in football, “as good as Josh Allen and might actually be stronger,” Milton never got into a game for the Patriots and was listed as “inactive” in 15 of the first 16 Patriots games.

Milton Puts on Show Against Bills

Then came Week 18, a game that was meaningless in the standings for both the Patriots and their opponent, the Buffalo Bills. In fact, the then 3-13 Patriots may have preferred to lose the game, because a defeat would have given them the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.

Instead, the 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton put on a display of his physical gifts, and even appeared to show that his football acumen had been unfairly maligned, throwing for a touchdown, running for another at at one point unleashing the second-fastest pass ever recorded in the NFL, at 61.7 mph, as he led New England to a 23-16 victory.

QB Gives Self Grade of ‘D’

The Cowboys have given Milton a fair chance, starting him in both preseason games, and slating him to start the finale as well, on Friday against the Atlanta Falcons.

But Milton has fallen far short of proving that he is worth keeping around as primary backup to starter Dak Prescott, throwing two interceptions, even taking a sack in the end zone for a safety and by his own estimation, performing at no better thanCowboys Final Joe Milton Decision Coming, Wild Scenario May Be Next a “Grade D” level.

But the Patriots are also shaky at backup quarterback, with only journeyman Joshua Dobbs, playing for his sixth team in as many years, behind Maye.

Given Maye’s propensity to suffer concussions, taking two in his rookie season as well as a hand injury, the Patriots might be looking for insurance.

How Patriots Could Get Most Out of Milton

They would have a strong reason to believe that Milton could improve with Patriots, compared to last season, and to his start with Dallas. That reason can be summed up in two word: Josh McDaniels.

Back for his third separate term as Patriots offensive coordinator, Daniels has a track record of success with “project” quarterbacks. As Patriots OC in 2008, with Tom Brady out for the season, McDaniels took a quarterback who had thrown only 33 passes in a four-year college career, Matt Cassell, and led New England to an 11-5 season.

In 2021, McDaniels turned rookie Mac Jones into a playoff and Pro Bowl quarterback who finished second in offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Now with his third team, Jones has not come close to matching the heights he reached in his one year with McDaniels.

If the Cowboys cut Milton, as now appears at least a strong possibility, the Patriots could re-acquire him for basically nothing, and trust McDaniels to mold his raw physical gifts into a credible backup quarterback. Or better.

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin