Cowboys May Have Already Tipped Hand in QB2 Battle Between Howell & Milton

One of the many competitions the Dallas Cowboys have up and down their roster comes at the QB2 spot.

After rolling with Joe Milton as their backup quarterback in 2025, the Cowboys signed Sam Howell in free agency this offseason in order to set up a battle behind Dak Prescott.

So far this offseason, Howell and Milton have split reps with the second-team offense, which doesn't give us much of a clue in regard to who is ahead in the competition.

However, Jon Machota of The Athletic believes the Cowboys signing Howell to compete with Milton in the first place is an obvious sign that Milton is in trouble.

"They’re splitting reps at that backup spot," Machota said of Milton and Howell on the Cowboys Collective. "Brian Schottenheimer is going to sit there and say it’s this great competition and they just wanted competition that’s why they brought in Sam Howell. I find that hard to believe."

"If Joe Milton had shown them enough last year, I don’t think you’re bringing in Sam Howell and then straight up letting them split reps in practice to find out who wins that job," he added.

.@jonmachota said he finds the #Cowboys QB2 battle ‘interesting’ between Joe Milton & Sam Howell:

‘They’re splitting reps at that backup spot. Brian Schottenheimer is going to sit there and say it’s this great competition and they just wanted competition that’s why they brought… pic.twitter.com/vvZcBhMGIs
— Cowboys Collective (@CowboysHMA) June 11, 2026

It's difficult for the public to gauge exactly where Milton is in his development since he has only appeared in five games and thrown 53 passes during his career.

But the Cowboys have gotten a close look at Milton in practice over the course of an entire season and we'd agree with Machota that Dallas signing Howell is not a ringing endorsement for the Tennessee product's chances of remaining as the QB2.

Sam Howell's advantage over Joe Milton

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Howell (14) walks off the field after the game against the Washington Commanders. — Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Howell. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Howell has one very clear advantage over Milton: experience.

A former fifth-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2022, Howell is entering his fifth season in the NFL. Howell also has a full season as a starter under his belt after he appeared in all 17 games for Washington in 2023.

Now, it just comes down to learning the offense, but that process is nothing new to Howell, who has been well-traveled over the last few seasons after spending time with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.

“I definitely learned a lot of systems,” Howell said. “I think that’s helped me learn. I’ve been able to learn how to pick up things fast and that kind of helps me study. So I got a pretty good system on how I do things and definitely all that knowledge has helped me.”

Milton and Howell will continue their competition when mandatory minicamp kicks off next week, but their battle will really begin in earnest when the pads come on at training camp in July.

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