After surviving a high-stakes preseason battle, Sam Howell embraces his role behind Dak Prescott while a familiar rival looms on the practice squad hungry for his spot.
The Dallas Cowboys' backup quarterback battle went down to the wire, and it was Sam Howell who emerged victorious over Joe Milton.
At least for a minute there.
While Milton was cut, he is now back on the Cowboys' practice squad, where he will continue to battle Howell for the backup role.
But for now, the edge is Sam's.
Having played well for most of the offseason and really only having one mistake in the three preseason games, the end zone interception, Howell has been more than serviceable.
And for the Cowboys, they clearly feel that if Dak goes down, Howell gives them the best chance at keeping the ship afloat.
For Sam, having been in quarterback battles before, he's now ready to help this team win in any way he can.
"Obviously extremely excited to be a part of this team and be a part of this organization," Howell said. "Been a lot of hard work and the work doesn't stop now. I'm committed to this team and going to try to find ways to help this team win. That's my job and I'm excited to be here for sure."
Many thought it was Milton ahead in the battle, but after a so-so first half against the New Orleans Saints in Dallas' final preseason game, when Howell nearly orchestrated a comeback, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter, it became clear the decision would be tough.
Milton has more upside, but Howell has NFL experience.
So, what way the Cowboys were going to go was always going to be fascinating.
But does Howell know what he was chosen over Milton?
"I'm not sure, I think that's a question for him [Schottenheimer]," Howell said. "We haven't had many conversations about it. I just try to do what I do every single day and try to get better. I don't really know exactly what went into it. I just tried to put my best foot forward."
And Howell did exactly that and was rewarded with a spot on the Cowboys' 53-man roster ahead of what many think could be a rather fruitful 2026 season.
But the hard work is far from over. Howell must now nail the details of the offense because, given the talent on this offense, if Dak goes down, he'll be expected to keep the ship afloat. ... with Milton also battling daily to be part of the conversation.
