The Cowboys have made their first call of the preseason quarterback battle, and it points straight to Sam Howell.
With Dak Prescott sitting out Dallas’ preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, the only real question was which backup would get the nod. Now that answer is in: Howell will start and play the entire first half, while Joe Milton III takes over for the second half, according to Jon Machota.
That decision gives Howell the early edge in a competition that, for the first time in years, actually exists in Dallas. Cooper Rush had long held down the No. 2 job before leaving in free agency in 2025, and the Cowboys turned to Milton to fill the void.
Milton stayed the primary backup all season, but his uneven play wasn’t enough to lock the role down for 2026. So Dallas brought in Howell to push him.
Milton arrived in Dallas after being drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round in 2024. He appeared in one game for New England and showed some promise, throwing for 241 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score.
Cowboys fans quickly latched onto his huge arm and rare athleticism after the trade, but the issues with touch and consistency showed up in the preseason. In the regular season, he played in four games and finished with 183 yards, one touchdown pass and two interceptions.
Howell brings a different kind of résumé. The Washington Commanders took him in the fifth round in 2022, and he wound up starting 17 games in his second season.
Washington went 4-13 that year, but Howell had his moments - even while leading the NFL with 21 interceptions. Since then, he’s bounced around the league, spending time with the Seahawks in 2024 and then the Vikings and Eagles in 2025.
He hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2024, but he still comes into this competition with far more experience than Milton.
Overall, Howell’s career numbers stand at a 62.6 completion percentage, 4,139 passing yards, 22 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions. He also looks like a strong fit in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense, which only adds to the sense that Dallas is giving him the first crack at the job.
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The Cowboys have several moving pieces to sort through, and these are the names who need to keep showing up in the right moments. Holden and Shelton are trying to make their case in crowded rooms, Toia is fighting to stand out up front, and Liufau is trying to carve out a place while adjusting to a new role on defense. For a team still sorting the back end of the roster, this is the kind of game that can quietly shape what the final group looks like. [Read more 🡒]