Getty

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III.

If you’re looking for heated position battles for the Dallas Cowboys when OTAs begin on June 1, look no further than the most important position on the field.

ESPN’s Todd Archer singled out backup quarterback Joe Milton III as 1 of the Cowboys with the most to prove as he tries to fend off former 17-game starter Sam Howell.

“Acquired in a trade last year from the New England Patriots, Milton wowed with his arm strength last spring and into training camp,” Archer wrote. “In four regular-season appearances in 2025, he completed 15 of 24 passes for 183 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He played in the second half of the finale and was picked off. The Cowboys signed Sam Howell in free agency with a $2 million guarantee, so there will be a battle for the No. 2 job behind Prescott. Milton can show a growing understanding of the scheme in his second year in the offense by not just relying on his powerful arm.”

Cowboys Added Intrigue by Signing Sam Howell

It would have been easy for the Cowboys to just hand the backup quarterback role to Milton for a 2nd consecutive season. To the credit of the Cowboys and their coaching staff, it appears as if they’re going out of their way not to do things the easy way anymore.

Howell spent the 2025 season as a backup quarterback on the Philadelphia Eagles. He played 2 seasons for the Commanders in 2022 and 2023, where he started all 17 games in 2023.

“Howell made his first start vs. Dallas in 2022 with Washington,” Archer wrote on March 10. “Cowboys now have four QBs in Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III, Will Grier and Howell.”

Eagles Made Surprise Move With Sam Howell Trade

The Eagles made a surprise move and traded with the Minnesota Vikings for Howell in August 2025, ostensibly bringing him in to be the backup for Hurts with longtime backup quarterback Tanner McKee nursing some minor injuries to start the season.

Howell had one of the worst seasons for a starting NFL quarterback in recent memory with the Commanders in 2023, when he went 4-13 and led the NFL with 21 interceptions.

“In exchange for Howell, the Vikings received a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Eagles,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote. Philadelphia received a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Vikings along with Howell.”

Howell was traded from the Commanders to the Seattle Seahawks in March 2024 and from the Seahawks to the Vikings in March 2025.

Joe Milton 1 of 2 QBs Selected by Patriots in 2024

Milton was a 6th round pick by the Patriots in the 2024 NFL draft — the same year they selected quarterback and 2025 NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye at No. 3 overall.

Dallas seems to have more success when they keep things simple for Milton when he’s on the field, as pointed out by Cowboys podcaster Dan Rogers during the 2025 preseason.

I don’t mind the Cowboys coaching staff allowing Joe Milton to come out firing. Let’s see what he’s got,” Rogers wrote in August 2025. “But I did like it when they designed some easy stuff to build his confidence. It worked. His last 10 throws were all well-placed balls. It was a night-and-day difference.”