Even though he had been mentioned as a potential trade candidate going all the way back to the end of the 2024 season, Joe Milton was caught off guard when the New England Patriots indeed decided to move on from him.

In early April, the sophomore quarterback was sent to the Dallas Cowboys alongside a seventh-round draft pick. The Patriots received a fifth-rounder back in return.

“Was I surprised? Yes,” Milton said in a recent interview with cowboys.com. “I kind of woke up around, like, 7 o’clock, to a call and I knew I was getting traded.”

Following a six-year college career in Michigan and Tennessee, Milton heard his name called 193rd overall in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Joining a quarterback room headed by fellow Patriots offseason additions Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye, his prospects appeared to be limited: Brissett was a bridge option with Maye the QB of the future.

While the transition between those two passers happened one third into the season, Milton’s role remained unchanged. He was a weekly game day inactive as the No. 3 quarterback on the roster.

By the regular season finale, however, his spot on the depth chart upgraded. He did not start the game Patriots’ Week 18 contest against the Buffalo Bills but entered after only one series from Maye. In his first non-preseason action, Milton completed 22 of 29 pass attempts for 241 yards with a touchdown each as a thrower and a runner.

With Milton running the show for most of the game, New England ended up winning 23-16 against its division rivals. It was only the team’s fourth victory of the season (and one dropping the Patriots from No. 1 to No. 4 in the draft order).

Despite being quiet for most of his rookie season, Milton was rumored as a potential trade candidate for much of the offseason. Following Brissett’s departure and Joshua Dobbs joining as a veteran backup behind Maye, he was sent to Dallas.

“Coming here was a blessing. I didn’t know it was going to be here,” Milton said about his new team. “I didn’t know where I was going to end up. I was just thankful to go to work. [But now I’m] back in the heat, for one. He allowed me to play in the dome, for two. And, three, it’s America’s team. Also, it’s just great to learn from someone like Dak [Prescott].”

With Prescott entrenched into the starting job, Milton will compete for the backup quarterback spot in Dallas over the summer. The Patriots, meanwhile, have Maye and Dobbs as the clear No. 1 and No. 2, with undrafted rookie Ben Wooldridge also in the mix.