news-engine

The Dallas Cowboys have to name their 53-man roster by Sunday and one of the last calls is which quarterback will back up Dak Prescott. Joe Milton III and Sam Howell went into Friday night’s preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints with the job still open, and Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that both would play. Milton completed 21 of 28 passes for 286 yards with three touchdowns and a rushing score across the first two games, without a turnover. He led all quarterbacks in passer rating at 142.9 among those taking at least a fifth of their team’s dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Howell went 15 of 22 for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception, including a red-zone pick in Arizona. “If you would just take the training camp competition, it’s probably neck and neck, and Sam maybe a little bit ahead,” Schottenheimer said on Monday, noting that was why Howell started the opener in Seattle. He credited Milton for two strong outings and said no decision had been made. “I’m sorry, I’m not quite sold on Joe Milton III as Daq’s backup,” Skip Bayless wrote Friday. “But Jerry seems to be. More exciting. Better box office. Hopefully Dak again stays healthy.” I’m sorry, I’m not quite sold on Joe Milton III as Daq’s backup. But Jerry seems to be. More exciting. Better box office. Hopefully Dak again stays healthy. — Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 29, 2026 How much can one preseason actually tell the Cowboys? Milton has appeared in five regular-season games in two years without a start, completing 69.8 percent of his throws for 424 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He took 51 offensive snaps for Dallas in 2025, 4.30 percent of the team’s total, and completed 62.5 percent of his passes across a season in which accuracy was the knock on him. Howell started 17 games for Washington in 2023 and owns a 77.5 career passer rating over 645 attempts, with 22 touchdowns against 23 interceptions. Milton said after the Arizona game that his comfort level in the offense was far beyond where it sat a year ago. “Tonight was great,” Milton said. “I was able to go out there and showcase what I got, what we’ve been working hard towards this whole camp, so it was great. My comfort level was amazing. Way more comfortable that I was last year.” The team traded a fifth-round pick to New England for him in Apr 2025 after Cooper Rush left for Baltimore, and before that preseason opener Jerry Jones told Kristi Scales of 105.3 The Fan that he had to pinch himself over landing him. Prescott started all 17 games last season and threw for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also missed nine games in 2024 with a hamstring injury that required surgery, and he has not put together consecutive seasons without missing at least five games since his first four years in the league. Dallas guaranteed Howell $2.5 million when it signed him in March, money the club owes whichever way Sunday goes. Waiver claims on anyone released around the league are due at noon CT Monday. Related Readings: Vikings reportedly set one condition on any J.J. McCarthy trade before Sunday Klint Kubiak gives another non-answer on the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 1 starter Are Cleveland Browns already set up to bench Deshaun Watson for Shedeur Sanders?