One of the Dallas Cowboys‘ most highly contested position battles had finally come to an end after their 27-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The tide seemed to have turned in the battle, as Joe Milton III came into the Saints game as the leader, but Sam Howell impressed. Howell finished 12-of-18 for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. Milton completed just 8-of-15 passes for 92 yards in the loss.
That game only muddied up the QB2 position battle even worse for the Cowboys. The real question is: how did the brass feel about it after the game?
Dallas Cowboys Leaders Speak on QB2 Battle After Preseason Finale
After the game, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that he thought the QB2 battle was “neck to neck.” Owner and general manager Jerry Jones chimed in on his thoughts about the position battle.
“That’s one that we may just split the difference and have two backup quarterbacks here,” Jones said.
“I thought both guys out there did some really good things tonight. Keep in mind, quarterback, sometimes it’s not the great plays. It’s not making the bad plays is the biggest deal of the backup quarterback.”
The preseason stats between the two quarterbacks show an interesting story. Milton has completed 67.4% of his passes for 378 yards and 3 touchdowns, adding 14 rushing yards and 1 more score. Howell completed 67.5% of his passes for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns to 1 interception, adding 24 rushing yards.
Dallas Cowboys Have a Tough Decision to Make at Backup QB
The Cowboys might have to keep both quarterbacks to justify the decision. Howell was the only one who made a mistake with his pick, but both guys played really good football.
This is one of those situations where neither guy played out of a job and would be backups for most NFL teams. The tape and stats show Milton and Howell played great football.
It’s a good problem for the Cowboys to have with two quarterbacks capable of stepping in for Dak Prescott. This ensures that no matter what happens with Prescott, they have someone they can trust to step in and play.
Milton still feels like the favorite to win the job since he knows the offense better. Howell has more than earned his chance to be the third string, though, and keep his job.
The Cowboys have 48 hours to decide how they want to play out the quarterback position. They have to decide whether to carry two or three quarterbacks on the roster. Either way, Dallas is in a really good spot entering the 2026 season.
Cowboys’ QB2 Battle Got a Blunt Final Verdict From Jerry Jones