DALLAS — Joe Milton III cleared waivers and signed back to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad on Sept. 2, two days after the team named Sam Howell its backup quarterback. On the Shan & RJ show on 105.3 The Fan Tuesday morning, owner and general manager Jerry Jones called the job a competition and said Milton is better than he was a year ago.
Dallas waived Milton on Aug. 31 to make room for running back Emari Demercado, claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Brian Schottenheimer named Howell the No. 2 the next day.
Jerry Jones On The Dallas Cowboys’ Quarterback Competition
The quarterback room rates with the receiver and tight end groups for Jones, and getting Milton back is part of why.
“Ultimately, it was a competition, and you could still call it that in my eyes,” Jones said. “But he did some really great things for us. He’s better than he was this time last year.
“And relatively speaking, we got what we want here,” Jones continued, “and that’s some real talent there at that backup quarterback and a chance to have some options as the season goes along.”
Milton came from the New England Patriots in April 2025. Dallas sent pick No. 171 and got back Milton and pick No. 217. He was a sixth-round pick in 2024, 193rd overall, out of Tennessee.
His one extended appearance as a rookie came in New England’s Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. Milton completed 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 16 yards and another score.
Behind Dak Prescott last season, Milton appeared in four games in relief and completed 15 of 24 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. This preseason he completed 29 of 43 for 378 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Sam Howell And Joe Milton III’s Path Back To Dallas
Howell went 144th overall in 2022, a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina. He started all 17 games for the Washington Commanders in 2023. Across 20 career games he has 18 starts and a 5-13 record, with 4,139 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions.
Against the New Orleans Saints in the preseason finale, Howell threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns and ran in a tying two-point conversion. New Orleans won 27-24 on a field goal.
Schottenheimer called it a “very, very hard decision” and pointed to Howell’s grasp of the playbook and his field vision, according to DallasCowboys.com.
Dallas Sports Journal reported Sept. 5 that the Miami Dolphins had called the Cowboys about quarterbacks before Milton was waived.
Milton’s return gives Dallas options at the position as the season goes along. Jones put the quarterback room in the same tier as the receiver and tight end groups, ahead of a defense he says is the one place the Cowboys would still add.
“That tight end room is really strong, and that quarterback room is really, really strong,” Jones explained. “We were really excited over getting Milton back.”
Any team can sign Milton off the practice squad. Dallas can elevate him to the active roster up to three times this season.
