Jerry Jones Addresses Cowboys' QB Room Before Dak Prescott's 11th Season

Jerry Jones and the Cowboys made a notable move at backup quarterback with Joe Milton and Sam Howell before Dak Prescott's 11th season.

by Yagya Bhargava

Sep 8, 2026

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

Kirby Lee - Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Dak Prescott is entering his 11th NFL season as the Dallas Cowboys get set for another run in Dallas, and Jerry Jones had one significant roster decision left before locking in his quarterback room. Many around the league expected Joe Milton to lock down the backup job behind Prescott, but the Cowboys instead kept Sam Howell as QB2 on their initial 53-man roster.

Jerry Jones released Milton as a result, only for the move to be short-lived. He cleared waivers and returned to the organization on the practice squad days later, keeping him in the building. The reinstated quarterback admitted the release caught him off guard, calling it “shocking” when asked about the decision.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Milton later acknowledged that football is a business, though that didn’t mean he had to agree with how it played out. Jones offered a far more upbeat view of where things stand.

Appearing on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning, the Cowboys owner said the young quarterback looked sharper than he did at this same point a year ago, progress that may have played a role in Dallas bringing him back so quickly.

“He did some really great things for us (in training camp and the preseason),” Jones said (h/t Jon Machota). “He’s better than he was this time last year. Relatively speaking, we got what we want here, and that’s some real talent there at that backup quarterback (position) and a chance to have some options as the season goes along.”

Milton made a real case for the job this preseason. Across three games, he completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns without a single interception, and his 118.2 passer rating topped Howell’s own preseason numbers.

He also flashed his arm, connecting with Jonathan Mingo for a 53-yard score and Camden Brown for a 70-yard gain.

Howell answered with a strong finish of his own, going 12-of-18 for 155 yards and two touchdowns against New Orleans.

The Cowboys open their 2026 season against the New York Giants on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 8:20 p.m. ET.