Dallas Cowboys fans watched on Saturday as Joe Milton, their apparent savior, floundered in his first preseason game with the team. Milton was wildly inaccurate at times, ending his day by completing less than 60% of his passes and throwing one interception.
While Milton struggled to get his bearings in Dallas, former Cowboys backup quarterback Trey Lance continued to shine with the Los Angeles Chargers.
After just one week of preseason, Lance is already making Jerry Jones and company think what could have been.
Trey Lance continues to shine away from the Cowboys
The entire Trey Lance-Cowboys saga is completely inexplicable. Dallas traded a fourth-round pick for the former 49er after he failed to live up to expectations in San Francisco. It was a hefty price for a backup quarterback, but there was an argument to be made for developing him behind Dak Prescott.
But even when Prescott was hurt in 2024, the Cowboys opted to play Cooper Rush instead of seeing what Lance could do in real action. Lance played admirably in the one start he was given, but Dallas let him walk in free agency less than two years after trading for him.
To make matters worse, they then traded away a fifth-round pick to bring in Joe Milton, starting the process over. Milton, like Lance, was billed as the future savior of the team, an uber-talented quarterback with unlimited potential.
This set of moves is already looking ugly as Milton struggles in Dallas and Lance thrives with the Chargers.
Milton struggled to read the defense and place the ball in the Cowboys’ first preseason game. He still has the arm strength and athleticism to develop into a good quarterback, but he clearly has a long way to go.
Meanwhile, Lance has put together two impressive preseason performances in a row. In the Hall of Fame Game, he was nearly perfect and led his team to a comfortable win. Then he followed it up with another dynamic showing last weekend, highlighting his dual-threat ability with 48 rushing yards in addition to his passing production.
The former Cowboys’ performance has fans wondering why Dallas didn’t just keep him around and save the pick they sent away for Milton. That draft capital could have been used to solve one of the many holes on this roster. It could have turned into offensive line depth, another running back option, or a developmental receiver.
Milton may still end up developing into something special. He certainly has the raw talent to do so. But for now, the Cowboys might be having some buyer's remorse.