With Dak Prescott preparing for his 11th season as the Dallas Cowboys‘ unquestioned starter, the spotlight this offseason shifts to the battle behind him. Joe Milton and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Howell are set to compete throughout offseason workouts and training camp for the backup role. Early impressions from OTAs, however, suggest Milton may have the upper hand.

“[Brian] Schottenheimer has been open about a battle for the backup quarterback job,” Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted on June 4. “And while there isn’t a lot of stock that should be put into where that battle stands today, it was notable that Joe Milton III received more of the second-team reps on Thursday than Sam Howell did.”

As also noted by ESPN’s Todd Archer, Milton got the second-team reps at quarterback and connected with Malik Davis for a touchdown on a wheel route. Sam Howell also had a scoring throw, finding Jordan Hudson along the back line of the end zone.

Schottenheimer signaled in March that no one had a lock on the No. 2 quarterback spot.

“They’re both uber talented; they both have big-time arm strength,” Schottenheimer said. “Sam started 20-something games in this league, which is great, but yeah, it’s an open competition. We’re excited for both those guys to go.”

Milton arrived in Dallas after the Cowboys struck a deal with the Patriots last offseason. The trade brought Milton and a 2025 seventh-round pick to Dallas in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round selection. In limited action last season, Milton appeared in four games as Prescott’s backup and completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

On the other hand, Howell enters the competition with a bit more starting experience but less recent game action. After being traded, he did not see the field with the Eagles last season.

When looking at the skill sets of both quarterbacks, the contrast is pretty clear. Milton has impressive physical tools, and his arm strength immediately stands out. The biggest question surrounding him has mostly been his consistency and accuracy.

According to Pro Football Reference, his on-target accuracy rate last season would have ranked below more than 40 qualifying quarterbacks.

Howell, on the other hand, may not possess Milton’s arm talent, but he showed an ability to push the ball downfield during his 17 starts in 2023. According to PFF, he finished inside the top 10 in big-time throws that season. He also holds an edge in experience with 18 career starts.

As of now, there is no clear winner in the race. OTAs are only the beginning, and both quarterbacks will continue getting opportunities throughout the offseason.

Sam Howell sounds confident about his game

Joe Milton may be getting more reps early on, but that does not mean the backup quarterback race is close to being decided. Sam Howell’s arrival has added real competition, and the Cowboys have already shown their commitment by releasing Will Grier to make room for him.

Dallas signed Howell to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million guaranteed, with the expectation that he would compete directly with Milton for the QB2 role behind Dak Prescott. One area where Howell has a clear edge is experience.

Milton has shown plenty of physical talent, but he has only made one career start in two NFL seasons and saw extended action during the second half of Dallas’ 2025 regular season finale against the New York Giants. Howell, meanwhile, was Washington’s full-time starter in 2023. He finished with a 5-13 record while leading the league in pass attempts with 612. He also threw 21 interceptions and was sacked 65 times.

Since then, his NFL journey has been a busy one with stops in Seattle, Minnesota, and Philadelphia. Despite the movement, Howell remains confident in what he can still become.

“For my career, I’m still in a position where I think I can play a lot of good football,” Howell admitted earlier this year. “A lot of good football is ahead of me,” Howell said. “I think the ability to be developed by [coach Brian Schottenheimer] was obviously something very enticing to me.”

For now, the Cowboys have a genuine battle on their hands, and the fight for QB2 is only getting more interesting.