The Cowboys’ quarterback logjam could become the Jets’ answer to a real problem as cutdown day approaches.
New York needs a backup behind Geno Smith, and right now that role is projected to go to Cade Klubnik. That’s a shaky setup for a team that would be in trouble if Smith went down, especially with Klubnik bringing no NFL experience to the table. ESPN’s Rich Cimini has said the Jets could look for another option either before or after the cutdown deadline.
Dallas, meanwhile, is sorting through its own quarterback decision behind Dak Prescott. Sam Howell and Joe Milton have spent training camp battling for the QB2 job, and the race still looks unresolved. Howell was sharper in camp and in the final preseason game, while Milton came on strong in the first two preseason games before fading in preseason Week 3.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer didn’t offer much of a clue about where things stand.
"It's neck and neck and love both of those guys," Schotty said of Howell and Milton.
Jerry Jones also left the door open to an unusual outcome.
“That's one that we may just split the difference and have two backup quarterbacks here," Jones said.
That kind of flexibility matters for Dallas, but it also creates a possible trade path if another team wants to step in. The Cowboys would probably prefer Howell if they’re choosing on readiness, since he has more experience and fits a win-now roster. Milton brings the bigger upside, though, and that could make him the more attractive piece for a team willing to wait on development.
For the Jets, Milton looks like the better match. They’re in transition, Smith is a placeholder, and Klubnik is still a complete unknown.
Milton offers a backup option right away, and there’s still a chance he grows into a starter-level quarterback. Howell is younger, but after 18 NFL starts, the league already has a pretty clear read on him as a backup.
Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has heard Milton could bring back as much as a fourth-round pick from a desperate team, or at least a fifth-rounder. The Jets probably wouldn’t go that high, since they’re not in a spot where they need to overpay for a reserve quarterback and aren’t expected to be competing in 2026. A fifth-rounder feels more realistic for New York.
Harris said Howell would likely cost a late-round pick swap, and he compared that kind of return to the Cowboys’ 2015 deal with Buffalo, when Dallas sent a fifth-round pick to the Bills for Matt Cassel and a seventh-round pick.
If the Cowboys can land that kind of value for either quarterback, it would make sense to move on. Dallas already lost a draft pick in the Broderick Jones deal and does not have a fifth-round pick in 2027, so any useful return would carry extra weight.
In Other News...
Cowboys Just Sent A Tough Message To Jaydon Blue And Phil Mafah
The Cowboys backfield picture got a little clearer, and a little more crowded, after roster cutdown day. Dallas waived Jaydon Blue and Joe Milton, with the expectation that Milton could be brought back on the practice squad if he clears the rest of the league, while Blue and Phil Mafah did not end up being retained on the practice squad after going unclaimed on waivers. The move left the team looking to shuffle its depth at running back rather than keep everyone in the building.
Brian Schottenheimer said the decision on Blue was tied more to how other players performed than to any lack of effort from the rookie. Dallas also added Israel Abanikanda to the practice squad, giving the Cowboys another running back option to join four others already there. For Blue and Mafah, it was a tough reminder that even in a crowded camp, a roster spot is only as secure as the last practice and the last evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Just Saw Another Failed D-Line Bet End Quietly
The Dolphins have picked up defensive tackle Mazi Smith for their practice squad, a quiet landing spot for a player who entered the league with plenty of expectations. Smith, a former first-round pick by the Cowboys, was released by the Jets after a brief stay and now gets another chance to stick with a team that is looking for depth along its defensive line.
For Dallas, it is another reminder of how far the former top pick still has to go after three NFL seasons with limited production. Smiths path has already included a move out of New York and into another roster-building project in Miami, and the next step will be whether he can turn a fresh opportunity into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Cutdown Choice Is Raising Questions After One Strong Summer
Cutdown weekend brought the usual churn, but the Cowboys still managed to leave some eyebrows raised with a few of their roster calls. Quarterback Joe Milton was among the most surprising names to go, especially after a preseason that seemed to strengthen his case, while rookie offensive tackle Drew Shelton stuck around as part of the final mix. Safety Julius Wood was also cut in the reshuffle, and Miami wasted little time claiming him off waivers.
For Dallas, the moves fit the broader reality of a roster that had to be trimmed, but they also invite the kind of second-guessing that always follows when a young player turns heads in August and still does not make the team. Miltons release, in particular, stands out because of how much momentum he appeared to build over the summer, and it leaves the Cowboys with another decision that will be debated well beyond cutdown day. [Read more 🡒]