Joe Milton and Sam Howell are battling it out to be Dak Prescott's backup in 2026.
One position battle I was looking forward to this offseason was who would be Dak Prescott's backup for the Dallas Cowboys.
We know that Joe Milton held that title last season, but the Cowboys clearly saw value in bringing in a player who could not only push Milton to be better but also potentially usurp him as well.
And Sam Howell was signed.
Still a young player, Howell has 18 starts to his name, and for a minute, the Washington Commanders thought he was their guy long-term.
Now, he comes to The Star with what I think is a very real chance at being Dak's backup.
With OTAs now done and dusted, it was Milton who got a lot of backup reps in the first week, and then it switched to Howell the following week.
So, there is a real battle going on.
But how has head coach Brian Schottenheimer seen it play out?
“Both doing good,” Schottenheimer said. “This [is] one of those deals where it's not real football. We're doing way more seven on seven than honestly I like to do, because I don't think it's real football. Quarterbacks like to get maybe not chased, but it's part of the game.
"But they're both doing good, we're rotating them evenly. The first week was Joe getting most of the twos and Sam mixing in, and this week it's the other way around. But it's going to be a fun competition, I love how they're pushing each other to be great.”
The Cowboys are in a win-win situation with Milton and Howell.
If Milton wins the job, it shows the coaching staff that he's improved to the point where they can feel confident in his ability to play the quarterback position better than just relying on his athletic attributes.
If Howell wins, it gives the Cowboys a better backup quarterback to play behind Dak.
Howell is a veteran of sorts and has been in multiple systems, so he brings that to the table, and you could argue, right now at least, that he is a better player to have if you need to win a game or two without Prescott.
The offseason has just begun, and the true test will be how the pair go in Oxnard when it is proper football.
Right now, there's no clear leader, but I'd imagine over the course of training camp, there will be.
But who that could be remains one question I'm eager to find the answer to.
