When the Dallas Cowboys signed veteran quarterback Sam Howell to a $2.5 million guaranteed contract back in March, it was easy to presume that the team, at the very least, uncertain about backup quarterback Joe Milton. At worst, the Cowboys were signaling a desire to move on from the strong-armed but inconsistent Milton, and take on a more standard second-stringer behind Dak Prescott.
Either way, there was going to be a QB2 race in Dallas. And’s gone better than expected.
Milton has been turning all that offseason doubt on its head here in training camp and now in the preseason. Howell’s consistency led him to get the first start of the preseason, but Milton has taken the momentum in the QB2 race from there. On Saturday in the 34-13 win over Arizona, he was brilliant, going 9-for-13 on his passes for 179 yards. He threw for two touchdowns, including a beautiful 53-yard fade to Jonathan Mingo. Milton also ran for a score and posted a 151.4 quarterback rating.
Cowboys Might Not Keep Sam Howell if Joe Milton Wins QB2 Job
Howell was not bad for the Cowboys, and has not been bad throughout training camp. He just has not been as dazzling as Milton, who looked to have firm command of the offense.
That could set up a tough choice for Dallas. The team needs depth in other areas, and when it comes time to construct the 53-man roster, keeping Howell might not make much sense, not with the confidence the team should have in Milton. Keeping Howell and Milton means someone falls off the roster elsewhere.
GettySam Howell is a potential Cowboys QB2 for Dak Prescott.
Cowboys Need Depth in Other Areas
That was the notion from ESPN’s Todd Archer, writing after the Cardinals game on Saturday night. There just might be players worth keeping–Mingo and Camden Brown at wide receiver, for example–ahead of Howell as QB3. And with frontline players like DeMarvion Overshown at linebacker and DaRon Bland at cornerback having been injury-prone in the last two years, the Cowboys will want depth at those spots.
Wrote Archer: Milton’s command of the offense is so much greater than it was in 2025, and the results have been telling. … Milton’s arm strength is unquestioned, but his poise and decision-making have impressed the coaches. Sam Howell has done nothing to lose the job, but the roster gymnastics required by keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster could be too costly when the Cowboys look to fill their spots at wide receiver, linebacker and cornerback.”
Joe Milton Has ‘Put Together 2 Really, Really Good Halves’
Notable, though, that in the wake of Milton’s performance this week, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer continued to say that the Joe Milton vs. Sam Howell competition is ongoing, as the team returns to Frisco and will close out its preseason slate at home.
“I think Joe’s put together two really, really good halves,” Schottenheimer said. “Sam really made one mistake down in the red zone, kind of got fooled on one and turned it over. That can’t happen, but this is long from over. And going back to Frisco, thankfully, and get a chance to be home and put some more training camp days in. But got to give Joe credit. He’s played really well the last two games, but we have a lot of confidence in Sam as well.”
Cowboys Veteran Facing Cut Amid ‘Roster Gymnastics’ After Preseason Game