Dallas Cowboys Insider Suggests Team Balked on Joe Milton Trade Before Waiving Him

Dak Prescott didn't play at all this preseason, which allowed Joe Milton III and Sam Howell to take every snap for the Dallas Cowboys. The battle for the backup job was fun to watch as Howell entered the preseason with the lead, but a strong showing from Milton seemingly closed the gap.

By the time the preseason ended, both quarterbacks had made a compelling case to be the QB2 and it was no surprise to see three quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster. What was surprising was seeing Milton released after Dallas was awarded running back Emari Demercado on waivers.

The question that followed was why the Cowboys decided to release Milton and on Tuesday, head coach Brian Schottenheimer did his best to explain this. Schottenheimer was complimentary of Milton and said they would love to have him back on the practice squad, if possible. As for the reason they moved on, Coach Schotty said keeping two quarterbacks gave them the best option for building a strong roster.

“We’ve made it very clear, when you’re pursuing championships and you want to win now, we’re trying to build the best team possible. We felt like carrying two quarterbacks was the best way for us to strengthen our roster,” Schottenheimer said via Jon Machota.

Why didn't the Cowboys trade Joe Milton?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III runs with the ball during the game between the Cowboys and the Saints. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another question that was on everyone's mind was why the Cowboys didn't attempt to trade Milton, especially after sending a fifth round pick to the New England Patriots in 2025 on Milton.

According to Calvin Watkins, Dallas did attempt to trade Milton and there were some interested parties. Watkins said, however, that there wasn't enough interest to make a deal.

The Cowboys got some interest for Joe Milton but not enough to make a deal with another team for him.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) September 1, 2026

That statement itself is confusing. If there was interest, surely making any trade at all would have been better than releasing Milton outright. That is, unless the front office believes the lack of strong interest means that Milton would go unclaimed, allowing the Cowboys to bring him back.

Schottenheimer touched on that as well, saying a return would be up to Milton, who is sure to have plenty of suitors after showing tremendous progress from 2025 until this preseason.

Milton completed 29-of-43 passing attempts (67.4%) for 378 yards with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He was far more decisive with his throws and wasn't plagued by the excessive overthrows we saw during his first season with Dallas.

Even with that progress, the coaching staff felt more confident in Sam Howell, who doesn't offer nearly as much athleticism but has far more experience.

Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Sam Howell and Joe Milton III walk onto the field during practice. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —

Add us as a preferred source on Google