Joe Milton cleared NFL waivers Tuesday without a claim, leaving his return to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad as the likely next step. Coach Brian Schottenheimer has said that the team would “absolutely want” Milton back in Dallas, in some capacity, according to Yahoo! Sports reporter Jori Epstein.
No team wanted to take on Milton’s roster spot, and that silence from the rest of the league now hands Dallas the leverage to bring back their outcast quarterback.
The Cowboys waived Milton on Monday, one day after he made the initial 53-man roster, as the corresponding move required when Dallas claimed running back Emari Demercado off waivers from Kansas City. That left the Cowboys with two quarterbacks, Dak Prescott and Sam Howell, rather than three.
Why Dallas Cowboys Waived Joe Milton
The decision came down to a full offseason body of work. Executive vice president Stephen Jones said the coaching staff weighed practices, joint sessions against other teams and game snaps before settling on Howell as the No. 2 quarterback, calling it close but the “best choice for the team,” as Jones said on “All DLLS Cowboys.” Jones added that Dallas is carrying extra stress on its roster because of a new defensive scheme, which pushed the club toward keeping just two passers instead of three.
The numbers were close. Milton completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions across three preseason games, adding a rushing touchdown. Howell finished 27 of 40 for 314 yards and three touchdowns, including two fourth-quarter scoring throws in the preseason finale against New Orleans.
Joe Milton’s Arm Strength and Path Back to Dallas
Milton, 26, arrived in Dallas via an April 2025 trade that sent a fifth-round pick to New England, and he spent last season as Prescott’s backup. Before that, the Pahokee, Florida, native starred at Tennessee after transferring from Michigan, throwing for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns across three seasons with the Volunteers and earning Orange Bowl MVP honors.
His throwing arm is the weapon that built his reputation. Milton drew attention at the 2024 scouting combine by uncorking multiple 70-yard throws and posting the hardest ball velocity in his group, a showcase that followed years of Tennessee teammates cranking the JUGS machine to its limit just to practice how to catch his throws.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, who once coached Brett Favre, has called Milton’s arm among the strongest he has seen in 27 years of coaching, while cautioning that raw power alone does not make a starting quarterback, according to a CBS Sports report.
Milton’s athleticism extends beyond his arm. He ran a reported 4.55-range 40-yard dash at his college pro day and has performed standing backflips at events ranging from high school workouts to Combine week, adding rushing touchdowns in both college and the NFL. Scouts have long noted how difficult he is to bring down cleanly given his 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame.
Both Jones and Schottenheimer have publicly stated they want Milton back as Dallas’ third quarterback if he clears waivers, which he has now done. Milton did not request his release, and Dallas has made clear it would rather keep developing him than search for a replacement. The decision on whether to accept a lesser deal in Dallas or test the open market elsewhere now belongs to Milton.
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