Since the day Joe Milton III became a Dallas Cowboys player, he has been a highlight reel on the practice field. In the preseason as well, Joe Milton showed flashes of his growth. Take, for example, his 70-yard completion on the scramble against the Arizona Cardinals in the 2nd preseason game. But that’s the truth of an NFL QB room, the physical tools can only take you so far. That reality came crashing down on Joe Milton as the Dallas Cowboys waived the QB.

The move caught fans off guard because Dallas initially projected Dak Prescott as the starting QB with Joe Milton and Sam Howell as backups on Sunday’s official 53-man roster. However, less than a day later, the front office claimed RB Emari Demercado off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs and released Joe Milton instead.

105.3 The Fan‘s Shan and RJ morning show’s Bobby Belt recently revealed insider information on the real reason behind Milton’s release. 

“I did not get clarity yesterday from a lot of people. The one thing I heard back was ‘focused on the wrong things.’ Which I know that’s very broad. That sounds like he just… it sounds like they didn’t think he was totally locked into doing the things that he needed to do to get better. Which he’s… he’s been talked about before; it’s kind of like just a fun-loving guy, and he likes to do his backflips, and he’s very chatty. But like, I don’t know, I thought that, like, he had… had to have put in work this offseason ’cause he looked better. 

“And he talked about some of the work that he did this offseason, and they talked about some of the work he did this offseason. So, they’re not playing in the [Brian] Schottenheimer staff. They’re not playing about people that they don’t think do the things they want Monday through Saturday.”

The internal worries showed up during the Cowboys’ final preseason game against the New Orleans Saints. Joe Milton got the start but failed to make the most of it, as he only managed to complete 8-of-15 passes for 92 yards and earned a 72.1 passer rating.

Meanwhile, Sam Howell put up a much better performance against the Saints. Howell went 12-of-18 for 155 yards, throwing 2 4th-quarter TDs with a 130.6 passer rating, giving the offensive coaching staff exactly what they wanted to see from an operational perspective. 

The roster cut is even more surprising when you factor in Joe Milton’s statements from an August 23 presser. The young QB entering his 2nd year with the Cowboys stressed about having a better comfort level in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense. 

“My comfort level was amazing. Way more comfortable than I was last year… There’s a lot more to our offense that we’re able to do, change as the quarterback position. You’re able to do all that; you’re able to make sure that your points are right, make sure the way you’re reading the play is correct.”

Coming off a season that saw him get only 4 regular-season appearances, Milton was asked what he thinks about his roster spot not being guaranteed yet in the same press conference. 

“That’s out of my control. The only thing I’m able to do is go out there and call the play, and just make sure the offense is moving. Whatever they decide, they decide,” Milton added. 

Perhaps the most astonishing part of this move is that America’s Team got no draft capital in return after previously trading a 5th-round pick to get him from the New England Patriots in April 2025. 

The financials could have played a huge part in this Cowboys decision as well. Cutting Howell meant Dallas would face a $2 million dead cap hit. Milton, however, was on a low-cost rookie deal as a late-round-pick, making him a cheaper player to release.