The Cowboys head into camp with a familiar issue, but this one feels especially messy: they still don’t have a backup quarterback they can trust behind Dak Prescott.
Dallas has already tried to solve the problem by spending draft capital on the position, bringing in players like Trey Lance and Joe Milton III. But the reality hasn’t changed. The Cowboys do not currently have a quarterback who can step in and reasonably handle even a short stretch if Prescott has to come out of a game.
That matters more now because Prescott has not been the most durable quarterback over the last five years. And the safety net Dallas once had is gone.
Back when Cooper Rush was filling in during 2021 and 2022, the defense could help carry the load. This version of the Cowboys does not have that same kind of support.
Milton is expected to get the first shot at winning the QB2 job in training camp, but he won’t be alone. The Cowboys signed Sam Howell to a one-year deal earlier this offseason, and that gives the competition a real twist.
Todd Archer of ESPN recently projected Howell to win the job and left Milton off the active roster entirely. Archer explained the thinking this way:
"Considered going with Joe Milton III and making it three but opted against it. The Cowboys guaranteed Howell $2 million in free agency and don't make it a habit of letting that financial commitment walk.
Milton is still young enough to see how he develops and could be a practice squad guy. Howell has more experience and command."
That would be a notable fall for Milton, who got nearly every preseason rep last year and still didn’t do much with them. He completed only 55.4% of his passes and averaged 5.7 yards per attempt. More than the numbers, the problem was how hard it was to get a clean read on the offense when he was on the field.
There were drives where Dallas didn’t record a single successful play with Milton leading the way. And while preseason struggles can be easy to dismiss, the same issues showed up in training camp practices too.
The Cowboys clearly want Milton to make this work. He has the size, arm strength and athleticism to look the part of an NFL quarterback. But the job won’t be handed to him, and if the accuracy and consistency don’t improve, there may not be room for him on the active roster at all.
Dallas needs a dependable backup for Prescott, especially with his injury history. And if neither Milton nor Howell separates himself during camp, the Cowboys could find themselves shopping for another answer. Milton should get plenty of preseason work again, but he’ll need to be a lot sharper if he wants to be in the mix for 2026.
In Other News...
Cowboys Fans Are Loving This Embarrassing Giants Coaching Moment
A preseason hype speech is supposed to stir a team, but John Harbaughs latest moment with the Giants did the opposite. The head coach leaned hard into the New York Giants message, only for the players reaction to fall flat enough that the clip quickly became a punchline online, with plenty of fans and commentators treating it as more awkward than inspiring.
For Cowboys fans, it was the kind of sideline stumble that is easy to enjoy from a distance, especially with the Giants carrying extra attention into the season. The bigger question now is whether that disconnect was just a bad viral moment or a sign of a team still trying to find the right edge before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Were Quietly Tied To A Quarterback Story Fans Did Not See Coming
Brendan Sorsbys path to the NFL took an unexpected turn when his attempt to enter the supplemental draft was turned away, pushing him back toward the 2027 class instead. The quarterback had already drawn attention from several teams, and his situation became more notable because his NCAA eligibility was lost after a sports gambling issue, a background that made any pro interest feel a little more complicated than the usual developmental quarterback chase.
For Dallas, the connection is easy to understand even if the timing is not. The Cowboys have Dak Prescott atop the depth chart, but they are always looking ahead at the position, and a player like Sorsby could have fit as a long-term backup or eventual successor if the process had moved differently. For now, the story is less about a fit than a missed opportunity, with the leagues decision leaving open whether the Cowboys will circle back when Sorsby is eligible again. [Read more 🡒]