In many football circles- and certainly with Cowboys fans who remember losing Dak Prescott to season-ending injuries in 2020 and 2024- backup quarterback is really the most important job on the team.
And this year, the Cowboys are going to extra lengths to make sure they have the right guy in the role.
The team signed veteran free agent Sam Howell back in March, signaling to observers that Joe Milton hadn’t necessarily locked down the gig after his first season in Dallas.
On Tuesday, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer confirmed in a pre-practice press conference that the QB2 position is, in fact, up for grabs during this summer’s offseason program.
“We’re rotating them evenly. The first week was Joe getting most of the 2s [second-team reps] and Sam mixing in. And this week, it’s the other way around,” the coach told reporters at The Star. “But it’s going to be a fun competition and I love how they’re pushing each other to be great.”
Brian Schottenheimer said the No. 2 qb reps will be split evenly between Joe Milton and Sam Howell. Last week Milton took the No. 2 reps, this week will be Howell. “It’s going to be a fun competition,” Schottenheimer said.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) June 9, 2026
Milton was brought in via trade last April, primarily on the strength of one relief appearance he made for the Patriots late in his 2024 rookie season. In his first year with the Cowboys, he got into four games. And while he showed off his famous arm strength and some decent mobility as a runner, his accuracy was often lacking in those limited opportunities.
Schottenheimer said it was nothing that Milton did or didn’t do, though, that prompted Howell’s addition.
“We’re always trying to raise the level and improve the room any chance we get,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate here, having some really great young men that are competitors filling those spots, but you’re always looking to build as much depth as you can.”
Prescott missed 11 games in 2020 after suffering a gruesome compound ankle fracture and dislocation. In 2024, a partial avulsion of the hamstring forced him to miss nine games. Minor injuries in 2021 (calf) and 2022 (thumb) have sent him to the sideline for another six contests.
About to turn 33 next month, Prescott may not be considered injury-prone, but it’s fair to say that the team should be thinking longer and harder about his backup than perhaps they have in the past.
What Howell brings to the equation in 2026 is live-fire experience. While he is six months younger than Milton, Howell has been in the league for two seasons longer. And for one of them, he was a 17-game starter for the Commanders after beating out Jacoby Brissett in 2023’s camp and even led the league in passing yards as late as mid-November.
With no game appearances at all in 2025 as an Eagle and only six snaps as a Seahawk the year prior, Howell may not seem particularly battle-tested. But that doesn’t mean he’s not just as qualified to come off the bench as past emergency options in Dallas.
“Sam Howell has more starts than Cooper Rush,” Schottenheimer pointed out. “He’s been exposed to a lot, been in a lot of different systems, which I think is great for all of us.”
Even great for Milton, as he and Howell compete for meaningful reps… even if the 7-on-7 pace of the current OTA practices is admittedly less than full-speed.
“This is one of those deals where it’s not real football,” the coach reminded. “Quarterbacks like to get- maybe not- chased, but it’s part of the game.”
So is making sure the backup quarterback is the best Plan B available.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys reveal plan for QB2 competition between Joe Milton, Sam Howell
