Cowboys’ Joe Milton is staying ready as opportunity looms in finale against Giants

FRISCO — Dak Prescott is scheduled to start the regular season finale against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Backup Joe Milton is preparing to play just in case.

Whether Prescott starts or not, Milton might get some playing time. It was something he didn’t know when talking to reporters this week.

“Prepare as your (the) starter and then to the whole season, it’s been a progression from last year,” Milton said. “From being the No. 3, emergency quarterback (in New England) to being the No. 2, making sure I was ready for every game, just in case (a) shoelace gets untied, whatever it may be, I’ll be ready for sure.”

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Milton has played in three games this season, mainly with the game out of reach. He’s completed eight of 11 passes for 119 yards with a touchdown and one interception.

Milton’s progression has impressed the Cowboys.

“Yeah, you can definitely see he’s moved on to the next iteration of understanding how to be a quarterback,” offensive coordinator Klayton Adams said Thursday. “And I think aside from the differences between college football and the NFL, I do think that there’s kind of an extra layer of playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys that, just in my experience in being with different teams, the way that things have been set up here, the way that Dak learned the game was the right way. But in some other offenses, I think it would be maybe considered a little bit old school with the amount of responsibility that Dak can clearly handle, that maybe aren’t isn’t being asked to of other quarterbacks.”

Milton played in the final week of the 2024 season with the Patriots, leading them to a victory as he came in for Drake Maye, who started the game.

Milton said if he plays or not Sunday this is a different situation.

Adams said Milton is so far ahead of his development compared to the offseason.

“So you can see him during walkthroughs and you can hear it during meetings that there’s answers that come out now that, like, bang, you know, you get let’s get to an audible call there and you’re like, all right, Joe,” Adams said.

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