Joe Milton

The Cowboys signed Sam Howell (18 career starts) on March 10, 2026, creating an open QB2 competition. Schottenheimer's public 'we need to find out about Joe Milton' framing signals the organization is not committed to him even as the backup — one year after trading a 5th-round pick to acquire him.

Milton's spot behind Prescott has been tenuous amid inconsistent production in his limited opportunities. As promising as Milton's tools are, he was an inaccurate passer with an on-target percentage of 65.2 percent, which ranked below 42 qualifying quarterbacks.

Milton remains firmly behind Dak Prescott, who just signed a massive 4-year, $240M extension through 2028 and is locked in as the entrenched starter. Prescott had a career year in 2025 with 4,552 passing yards and 30 TDs, leaving no path to playing time.

Milton's on-target percentage sat at 65.2% in 2025, ranking below 42 qualifying quarterbacks. In his Week 18 appearance vs. Giants, he completed just 53.8% of passes (7-of-13) for 73 yards with 1 INT and a 38.3 passer rating, raising concerns about his readiness.

Dak Prescott is locked into a 4-year $240M contract with a no-trade clause and played a full, healthy 2025 season. Milton's only realistic path to dynasty-relevant snaps is injury, an inherently unreliable activation mechanism.

Dallas signed Sam Howell ($2M guarantee, ~18-20 career starts) and Schottenheimer has publicly confirmed an open QB2 competition; the more experienced Howell can plausibly unseat Milton for the only backup job behind Prescott.

If Prescott misses time, Milton inherits one of the NFL's most loaded skill-position groups — CeeDee Lamb (7508 value), George Pickens (6180), and Javonte Williams. Even a 4-8 week Prescott absence in a healthy Lamb/Pickens environment would generate a meaningful dynasty value spike.

Milton will remain Prescott's backup, and it appears to be trending that way for a second season. If Prescott suffers injury, Milton inherits a strong supporting cast with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson, and Javonte Williams.

If Milton loses the QB2 competition and is cut, he would likely generate another multi-team trade market given his arm tools and age-26 development window. A fresh landing spot with a starter vacancy could reactivate his dynasty value quickly.

Despite ESPN analysts suggesting a mid-round QB addition, Dallas's 2026 draft yielded only a R7 WR (Anthony Smith). The Cowboys did not invest draft capital at QB, which is a modest positive signal that they view Milton as a viable roster piece through 2026.

With another offseason to learn from Prescott, the expectation is that Milton progresses enough that, if Dak were to miss a game or two, Joe could step in and win you a game, though right now, there aren't many who feel that way comfortably.

Teams in need of a high-upside QB development project could target Milton in trade, especially if he impresses in 2026 preseason action. His physical tools make him more tradeable than typical career backups.