Joe Milton Didn't Hold Back About 'Shocking' Cowboys Cut: 'I'm Still the Best Quarterback'

We almost saw the end of the Joe Milton era in Dallas after the Cowboys cut the former sixth-round pick after cutdown day.

The Cowboys initially kept two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster because of how close the battle for QB2 was between Milton and Sam Howell.

But with the team needing to add a third running back after the surprise cut of Jaydon Blue, Dallas decided to waive Milton, clearing room for Emari Demercado.

“We felt like carrying two quarterbacks was the best way for us to strengthen our roster," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the day after Milton was waived, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.

Joe Milton reacts to 'shocking' cut

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III. — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III (10) looks to throw the ball during the game between the Cowboys and the Saints at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When asked for his thoughts on the Cowboys' decision to waive him before re-signing him to the practice squad, Milton admitted he was shocked.

“It was shocking. But it’s life. You got to be able to live with it and deliver blows back when it’s time," Milton said, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Because of how things went down, Milton admitted that there was at least some thought about not returning to Dallas on the practice squad.

“Somewhat, but not really," Milton said when asked if it was a hard decision to return to Dallas. "I have a lot of relationships here and guys I trust with my development.”

One thing that hasn't been shaken is Milton's confidence.

“I’m still the best quarterback in my eyes," he said. "It is what it is. It’s something you got to live with and take to the chin.”

“Nothing. I don’t feel like I’d change nothing," Milton said when asked if there was anything he could've done differently in the preseason. "Everything happens for a reason, right?”

Does Milton deserve to be QB2?

It was truly a back-and-forth battle between Howell and Milton for the backup quarterback job.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer labeled Howell the slightly more consistent quarterback going into the preseason, but Milton clearly outperformed Howell over the first two exhibition games while showing immense growth.

Milton's QB2 candidacy took a hit late in the process, though, as Howell was the superior signal-caller in the preseason finale while Milton started to look like the guy we watched in 2025.

"It's neck and neck and love both of those guys," Schotty said of Howell and Milton after preseason Week 3.

“That's one that we may just split the difference and have two backup quarterbacks here," Jerry Jones said.

Truth be told, the Cowboys could have gone either way with the decision and it wouldn't have been shocking. What was surprising was Dallas' decision to cut Milton about an hour after Schotty said the team was still sorting through the QB2 decision.

"That's not completely settled, and we need to work through that. We're constantly ripping [their] film. We're not ready to make that decision," Schotty said when asked about keeping both quarterbacks.

We venture to guess that Howell's advantage in experience is what put him over the top to win the battle.

Despite his clear progress, Milton is a total wild card because he has never started an NFL game and has just 53 career passes. On the other side, Howell offers 18 starts and 645 career passes.

There is more evidence to suggest that Howell is a better option to keep the Cowboys afloat if Prescott gets hurt, which is important for a win-now team like Dallas.

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