Joe Milton III #10 of the Dallas Cowboys
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Joe Milton III #10 of the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys traded for backup quarterback Joe Milton at just about this time last year, and when the move was made, it was pretty clear that Milton would take the mantle as the team’s backup quarterback. His ability to throw deep and with power is almost legendary at this point, and he’d shown brief flashes in the limited time he had gotten with New England in one Week 18 game, but the Cowboys were making a bet on Milton’s potential.
A year later, there are perhaps some second thoughts on Milton as a long-term option in Dallas and a short-term fill in if starter Dak Prescott is to be injured. Milton appeared in four games last year, all relief efforts, completing 15 of 24 passes for 183 yards.
The Cowboys, as one of their new free-agent additions, added veteran quarterback Sam Howell on a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Howell has established a resume as a starter, though not a particularly great one (he was 4-13 for the Commanders in 2023, throwing for 21 touchdowns and a league-high 21 interceptions). And on Monday, coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed what most suspected: Howell is in Dallas to compete with Milton for the QB2 role.
Sam Howell to Compete for Joe Milton’s Job
Schottenheimer met with members of the Cowboys media in Arizona before the NFL’s annual meetings on Monday. Per Grant Gordon of NFL media, “Brian Schottenheimer confirms Sam Howell and Joe Milton will compete for Qb2.”
Milton, of course, remains an intriguing quarterback prospect, going back to his collegiate years, which began with three seasons at Michigan before he transferred and landed another three years at Tennessee. He was a frustrating prospect in both places, obviously gifted with a tremendous arm but unable to limit his mistakes and develop a mastery of the nuances of the position.
Milton was not a starter in college until his sixth year, and was just a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2024.
Cowboys Offseason is Critical
The addition of Howell for the Cowboys likely signals a last chance for Milton–if he loses out on the QB2 job to Howell, it’s hard to see where Milton can move forward in the NFL and carve out a role. It’s only his third season in the league, but Milton is already 26, and he will need to show tangible improvement to keep his place.
Schottenheimer was, two months ago, complimentary of Milton and the talent he sees there. “His arm talent, everyone wants to talk about the velocity and how far he can throw it, but you talk about a guy like Joe Milton, you talk about the accuracy, the ability to make all the throws, the off-platform throws—I mean he is just incredibly talented,” Schottenheimer said.
“We saw something in Joe that made us want to make the trade, and he has not disappointed,” Schottenheimer said. “I think he’s just, the future looks so bright for him, learning this system and doing the things he is being asked to do, from Michigan to Tennessee. It’s been cool for me to watch him pick up on some of the things. And it takes time. It really does. It’s not something that is built overnight. And again, we’re excited to have Joe be part of our football team.”
The proof, though, is in the pudding, and however excited Schottenheimer might have been in January, adding Howell shows there is some trepidation about whether Milton can handle the QB2 role going forward.