Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback controversy clears up after latest roster move
The Dallas Cowboys are set to hold a QB2 competition, but one contender just got cut.
A quarterback controversy is brewing within the Dallas Cowboys heading into the 2026 NFL season. Clearly, I’m not talking about QB1 as Dak Prescott has played some of his best football over the last three years. I’m talking about who will back him up.
And though it remains unclear who will win the job, one contender has already been removed from the competition.
Cowboys make a quarterback cut
The Cowboys are releasing veteran quarterback Will Grier, who re-signed a futures contract in January.
At the time, it seemed like Grier would likely be on the team throughout the offseason and training camp, perhaps even competing with Joe Milton to back up Prescott. However, things changed when the Cowboys signed another quarterback in free agency.
Earlier in the week, the Cowboys signed QB Sam Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick with 18 starts under his belt.
Instead of going into the offseason with four quarterbacks on the roster, the Cowboys are moving on from Grier. He had been with the team since November 2024 following a first stint from 2021-2022.
It’s Milton vs. Howell for QB2
With Grier gone, it’s down to two quarterbacks for the QB2 job: Joe Milton and Sam Howell.
Milton’s biggest advantage is his otherworldly arm strength. However, only one year after trading for him, the Cowboys are looking for an alternative because of his accuracy problems. Milton’s on-target percentage sat at 65.2%, per Pro Football Reference. That number would have ranked dead-last among 42 qualifying quarterbacks.
Milton’s freakish arm strength could be perfect should he figure out how to control it. For now, the Cowboys are right to look into another candidate just in case.
With that being said, Howell is far from perfect. In 2023, when he started 17 games for the Washington Commanders, he led the league in turnover-worthy plays but balanced it by finishing Top 10 in big-time throws, per PFF. The flashes of dynamic play-making are there, though. Let’s see who he is in 2026.
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