Cowboys Waive Joe Milton, Name Sam Howell Backup Quarterback

The Dallas Cowboys are always a topic of conversation, and they made one of the biggest surprise moves of the last week.

Now that NFL training camp competition is done and the preseason is coming to an end, the Cowboys had to make a decision on the backup quarterback. And while most people presumed it would be Joe Milton III after a solid preseason, Dallas actually waived Milton and decided to make Sam Howell the team's backup behind Dak Prescott during the regular season.

Interestingly enough, this decision came a day after final roster cuts were made and the 53-man roster was put together, and Milton made that roster.

But after claiming running back Emari Demercado off waivers, the Cowboys needed to clear a roster spot, and Milton became that guy.

Sam Howell Wins Cowboys Backup Job

This was a legitimate competition throughout training camp, and it's an important role for Dallas because Prescott has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career.

If he goes down, whether that's for a single half of football or a couple of games, having a backup quarterback capable of keeping the team afloat is extremely important.

And while Milton seemed to have the edge for much of the process, Howell made his final statement in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints.

He completed 12 of 18 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns and looked better than Milton in that game.

Cowboys Move On From Joe Milton

Dallas actually invested legitimate draft capital to acquire Milton just over a year ago, trading a fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots in April 2025.

He was Prescott's backup last season and also had a strong training camp and preseason, completing 29 of 43 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions.

But there's more to these decisions than just the stats.

For now, the competition is officially over.

Milton will go through waivers, and if nobody claims him, there's still a chance he could end up back in Dallas on the practice squad and potentially work his way back into the backup conversation.

But entering the regular season, the Cowboys have Dak Prescott as QB1 and Sam Howell as QB2.