Head coach Brian Schottenheimer left no doubt. There will be a quarterback battle on the Dallas Cowboys.

Though Dak Prescott is perfectly safe as one of the best quarterbacks in football and with a deal that pays him as such, the battle for QB2 became real as soon as the Cowboys signed Sam Howell in free agency. Schottenheimer even called it an open battle between Howell and Joe Milton. But who is the front-runner?

Cowboys QB2 battle starts next week

I guess an “open battle” means there’s no such thing as a front-runner. And it almost surely means it will come down to training camp, when practices get real.

But someone will go first when OTAs kick off next Monday, June 1. After all, even if similarly split, someone will have more reps with the first and second team. Someone will do better than the other.

At the very least, we’ll find out a little about what this coaching staff thinks of each.

Say for example that Howell gets the bulk of the reps. Is it because they feel like they know Milton better after he backed up Prescott in 2025? Or is it because they’re ready to move on? Similarly, do they let Milton take more snaps because he needs as many reps as possible as a third-year player with accuracy issues?

Coaches’ comments will go a long way in interpreting whatever the snap count looks like when it’s all said and done. But one way or another, we’ll have some insight from OTAs. Though again, it’s a battle that will resolve itself in camp.

The case for each to be QB2

If you’re wondering why each has a chance to be Prescott’s No. 2, here are the cases for each player.

Joe Milton

His biggest calling card has to be that he knows the scheme better after being traded to the Cowboys in 2025. Dallas knows what he can and can’t do.

Even more so, as a player, Milton has Howell beat on upside. The former Tennessee Vol has a cannon for an arm and is very athletic. The upside is clearly there if he can improve his accuracy, which has been his biggest issue in two years in the NFL.

Last season, Milton’s on-target accuracy rate would have been worse than over 40 qualifying QBs per Pro Football Reference.

Sam Howell

Howell is also somewhat of a gunslinger. Though he doesn’t have the arm Milton has, he was a big-time throw machine when he started 17 games in 2023. He finished Top 10 in the category per PFF.

The problem? He was a boom-or-bust type QB, as he led the NFL in turnover-worthy plays. Lived and died by the sword. As long as Howell is able to limit his mistakes, his accuracy could be better than Milton’s. He has the latter beat in experience with 18 starts.