Cowboys insider says the quiet part out loud about the Joe Milton situation in Dallas and confirms what everyone has suspected
Former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton is battling veteran Sam Howell for the backup quarterback job with the Dallas Cowboys this summer.
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton ended the 2025 season as the Dallas Cowboys’ backup quarterback.
And now he’s fighting to hang on to that role.
The Cowboys signed veteran quarterback Sam Howell earlier this offseason to compete with Milton for the backup job.
Howell, who has 18 career starts under his belt, is splitting the No. 2 quarterback reps evenly with Milton in OTAs. That’s expected to continue throughout training camp until one quarterback emerges as the winner.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was asked specifically this week if there was something he saw from Milton last season that made him lack confidence in the former Vol’s ability to serve as the backup to Dak Prescott.
Schottenheimer gave a very coach-speak answer in response to the question.
“I think we’re always trying to raise the level and improve the (quarterback) room any chance we get,” said Schottenheimer. “… You’re always looking to build as much depth as you can. And a guy like Sam Howell — when you think about it, it’s crazy. Sam Howell has more starts than (former Cowboys backup quarterback) Cooper Rush. Which is because [Howell] started the one year in Washington. He’s been exposed to a lot. He’s been in a lot of different systems, which I think is great for all of us.”
Cowboys insider isn’t buying Brian Schottenheimer’s narrative
Jon Machota, who covers the Cowboys for The Athletic, isn’t quite buying Schottenheimer’s narrative about building depth.
Instead, Machota, like many fans have speculated, thinks the Cowboys lack confidence in Milton, otherwise they wouldn’t have brought in a guy with 18 career starts to compete with him.
“The Milton [vs] Howell thing, I find interesting,” said Machota. “Because they’re splitting reps at that backup spot, and Brian Schottenheimer is going to sit there and say that it’s this great competition, and that they just wanted competition and 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. So I maintain that I think Joe Milton has a higher upside, but I think Sam Howell probably gives you the best chance if you had to plug him in tomorrow to win a game.”
I tend to agree with Machota here. I understand building depth, but it’s not like they brought in a quarterback that’s barely hanging on a practice squad spot to “compete” with Milton. They brought in a guy with a whole season of starting experience. And they’re already splitting reps, which means it’s a full-blown competition.
We’ll see who wins. Maybe Milton holds off Howell. But I tend to think Milton’s job is in real trouble this summer. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s on the Cowboys’ 53-man roster when the season kicks off in a few months.