Cowboys ' Brian Schottenheimer Confirms Crucial QB2 Competition

Joe Milton III joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 with a lot of fanfare. Following his rookie season with the New England Patriots, Milton was traded to Dallas and fans were excited to see what the rocket-armed quarterback could do.

Some of the takes regarding Milton were over the top, with former NFL running back LeSean McCoy taking it to an extreme. McCoy said Dak Prescott needed to find a realtor because Milton was coming for his job.

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Fast forward to the 2026 offseason, and it’s Milton whose job is in jeopardy. Dallas signed Sam Howell this offseason, giving them a backup with 18 career starts. The Cowboys already released Will Grier to make room for Howell, and now head coach Brian Schottenheimer said there will be a battle for the QB2 spot behind Prescott.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell looks to pass the ball against the Green Bay Packers. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

"Yeah, and again, Sam was the guy we watched the film, we were like, man, if we could have Sam Howell and Joe Milton on this football team and give those guys both a chance to compete. They're both uber talented, they both have big-time arm strength. Sam started, actually, 20-something games in this league, which is great," Schottenheimer said.

"But, yeah, it's an open competition. We're excited for both those guys to go, and you can never have enough quarterbacks to develop. And I think we developed the quarterback at a very high rate in our system, and a chance to get a guy like Sam. And Sam was excited to come here, quite honestly, to be developed by us, and the way we do it. So we should be good."

Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer says that new addition Sam Howell will be competing for the QB2 spot with Joe Milton pic.twitter.com/y5KtygabAp
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) March 30, 2026

Howell was a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina in the 2022 NFL draft by the Washington Commanders. He went 5-13 in two seasons as the starter before being replaced by Jayden Daniels in 2024.

He has since become a journeyman, spending time with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles. For his career, Howell has completed 62.6 percent of his attempts for 4,139 yards with 22 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

Joe Milton III had mixed results during his first season with the Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III reacts during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

During the preseason, Milton faced a lot of criticism for his inability to dial in the velocity. Whether the receiver was five yards or 55 yards from him, Milton was firing a line-drive fastball.

He seemed to have more control during his four appearances in the regular season. Milton completed 62.5 percent of his attempts for 183 yards with one touchdown and two picks.

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