Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton is fighting for a roster spot this summer.

Milton, who is entering his third season in the NFL, spent his rookie year with the New England Patriots before getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2025 season.

The former Vol saw limited action with the Cowboys last season, passing for 183 yards and a touchdown while serving as the backup to starting quarterback Dak Prescott.

Despite operating as the backup quarterback last season, Milton isn’t guaranteed to serve in that same role with the Cowboys in 2026.

The Cowboys signed Sam Howell earlier this offseason to compete with Milton for the backup job.

And the general feeling seems to be that Howell is likely to win the job — especially after Milton and Howell split second team reps during OTAs.

“We’re rotating them evenly,” said Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer in June. “The first week it was Joe getting most of the twos, and Sam mixing in. And this week it’s the other way around. But it’s going to be a fun competition, and I love how they’re pushing each other to be great.”

Schottenheimer was specifically asked in a follow-up question if Milton didn’t do enough last season for the Cowboys to feel confident in him as the backup quarterback.

“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.”

ESPN makes their roster prediction for Joe Milton

ESPN’s Todd Archer made his 53-man roster prediction for the Cowboys on Thursday.

And Archer doesn’t have Milton making the cut.

Instead, he thinks Milton will land on the Cowboys’ practice squad.

The big reason is because of the $2 million that Dallas gave Howell in guaranteed money.

“The Cowboys guaranteed Howell $2 million in free agency and don’t make it a habit of letting that financial commitment walk,” wrote Archer. “Milton is still young enough to see how he develops and could be a practice squad guy. Howell has more experience and command.”

Nothing has been decided, and both players will need to get through camp healthy, but for now, it’s trending toward Milton not being the primary backup to Prescott this fall.