> **On The Bubble (2)**
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> Joe Milton III, Sam Howell
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> The Cowboys made a bit of a surprise with a shake-up in the quarterback room this offseason, as they moved on from trusted depth piece Will Grier in favor of a former starter with ample experience in **Sam Howell**. Shortly after the signing was made, head coach Brian Schottenheimer came out and said that the backup quarterback spot behind Prescott is up for grabs.
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> Howell brings experience, having started 18 games in his career including all 17 for the Washington Commanders in 2023. Since then, however, Howell has only thrown 14 passes over the past two seasons. The system is familiar for Howell, as he pointed to his days at the University of North Carolina as a similar setup for how the Cowboys play under Schottenheimer.
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> On the other hand, **Joe Milton III** comes into 2026 with a year in Dallas under his belt, but a lack of strong confidence in his abilities along with it. Milton had a shaky first preseason with the Cowboys after being acquired in a trade last offseason, and he wasn’t called upon to play meaningful snaps in the regular season. The signing of Howell could be a sign of the staff’s lack of belief in Milton moving forward, or it could be simply intentional fuel to add to his fire going into 2026. Either way, Milton is being called upon to take a step forward.
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> Whoever comes out on top in the backup quarterback battle will obviously be safe on the roster, but there are a couple of possibilities for the loser in that competition. Will Schottenheimer carry three quarterbacks to prevent leaving one subjected to waivers? Or, could the Cowboys try to utilize the trade market to get something in return?