FRISCO, Texas — Taken only as a training camp competition, Joe Milton III and Sam Howell are close to even, with Howell maybe a little bit ahead, Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday at The Star. That is why Dallas started Howell in the preseason opener at Seattle.
“I think it’s a great competition. That’s why I kind of brought up the training camp,” Schottenheimer said. “Joe’s performed beautifully in both games, and you can’t look at the numbers and not know that. But just watch him play, watch him step up and trust the protection on the double move because Keegan comes out. Drew Shelton’s got a little leakage off on the big one too.”
“Mingo, and there’s a little bit of color off the defensive end, off of Drew, and Keegan comes and kind of cleans it up from inside out and Joe doesn’t even flinch,” Schottenheimer continued. “He just stands in there and lofts it down there beautifully. But Sam’s made a lot of plays too. And Sam did a beautiful two-minute drive against Seattle. And we don’t have to and we’re not ready to make any decisions yet.”
What Joe Milton III And Sam Howell Have Done This Preseason
Milton started at Arizona on Saturday night and completed 9-of-13 for 179 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He added a 1-yard rushing touchdown on a quarterback draw in the second quarter. His touchdown pass to Jonathan Mingo covered 53 yards down the left sideline. A 70-yard completion to Camden Brown set up the rushing score one play later. Milton did not play after halftime of the 34-13 win.
Howell played the second half at Glendale. He completed 7-of-10 for 65 yards and threw an interception in the end zone on third-and-2 at the Arizona 12. He ran once for 7 yards and took a sack.
Howell started the opener at Seattle on Aug. 15 and completed 8-of-12 for 94 yards with a touchdown, and he ran twice for 15 yards. Milton played the second half at Lumen Field and completed 12-of-15 for 107 yards with a touchdown. Both touchdown passes went to Brown, a 39-yard catch from Howell in the second quarter and a 2-yard catch from Milton in the third. Neither quarterback turned the ball over in the 17-7 win.
Across the two games, Milton has completed 21-of-28 for 286 yards with 3 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Howell has completed 15-of-22 for 159 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
How Sam Howell Got To Dallas
Washington drafted Howell in the fifth round, 144th overall, in 2022 out of North Carolina. He started the final game of his rookie season, then started all 17 games in 2023 and threw for 3,946 yards with 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. The interception total led the NFL.
Washington traded Howell to Seattle in March 2024. Seattle traded him to Minnesota in April 2025, and Minnesota traded him to Philadelphia that August. He did not appear in a regular-season game for the Eagles. Howell signed with Dallas on March 10.
Howell last played a regular-season snap in 2024. He got into 2 games for Seattle that season and attempted 14 passes. Through 4 seasons he has completed 404-of-645 for 4,139 yards with 22 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. His passer rating is 77.5.
New England drafted Milton in the sixth round, 193rd overall, in 2024, and he appeared in one game as a rookie. The Patriots traded him to Dallas in April 2025 for a fifth-round pick, with a seventh-round pick coming back to the Cowboys. Milton appeared in 4 games last season and completed 15-of-24 for 183 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He ran 5 times for 50 yards.
Dak Prescott And The Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Room
Dak Prescott started all 17 games last season and completed 404-of-600 for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He ran 53 times for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns, made the Pro Bowl, and finished third in AP Comeback Player of the Year voting. Prescott has not played this preseason.
Dallas Morning News beat writer Calvin Watkins left Howell off his fourth 53-man roster projection. Watkins kept two quarterbacks.
What Is Left Before Dallas Cowboys Cuts
Two practices in front of fans at The Star are left, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The preseason closes Friday against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. CT on CBS.
Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30, two days earlier than the deadline has fallen in recent years. Waiver claims are due at noon CT the next day. The Cowboys open the regular season Sept. 13 against the New York Giants.
