The Cowboys know Dak Prescott is their starting quarterback, but they still have a decision to make about who will be the next man up on the depth chart.
Joe Milton got the start on Saturday against the Cardinals and made a strong case for the job. Milton was 9-of-13 for 179 yards and a touchdown before giving way to Sam Howell, who went 7-of-10 for 65 yards and an interception. Milton also had a good game after replacing Howell in the preseason opener and head coach Brian Schottenheimer credited him with “two good halves” on Saturday, but said the competition remains open.
“This is [long from over](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0_LzC-irOI),” Schottenheimer said. “We’re going back to Frisco, thankfully, get a chance to be home and put some more training camp days in. You’ve got to give Joe his credit, he’s played really well the past two games, but we have a lot of confidence in Sam as well.”
Milton joined the Cowboys late in the 2025 preseason and said he feels a “[major difference](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/joe-milton-way-more-comfortable-in-cowboys-offense-in-year-2)” from where he was a year ago. We’ll find out soon whether that difference has been enough for him to secure the backup job.