The backup quarterback battle continues to heat up as the Dallas Cowboys progress with organized team activities.
Quarterbacks Joe Milton III and Sam Howell are exchanging snaps with the second unit during OTAs.
“Both doing good,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “It’s not real football. We’re doing way more 7v7, more than I like to do. Both doing good, we’re rotating them evenly. The first week was Joe getting most of the twos and Sam mixing in. This week it’s the other way around, but it’s going to be a fun competition. I love how they are pushing each other to be great. We’re always trying to raise the level and improve the room any chance we get.”
Cowboys starting Dak Prescott is keeping his eye on the competition.
“It’s competitive,” he said. “They are switching it out. I’m pretty sure it’s an even rep count from the moment Sam has got here. We promote competition on every which way, and that’s where I tell those guys they should be, and they should be competing and pushing me as well. So that’s the culture in the room we are creating.”
Prescott said regardless of the competition, they are brothers and teammates at the end of the day, but he still loves the way they are pushing each other.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III stiff-arms a New York Giants defender on Jan. 4, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Ishika Samant Getty Images
Milton shared how everywhere he has been, he’s had to compete for playing time.
“In the league you have to compete every day,” Milton said. “No matter where I end up or where he ends up, you have to compete. Nothing is just given to you. Going back to high school, I had to compete for my starting job. You just have to compete.”
Washington Commanders quarterback runs during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 7, 2024, at FedExField in Landover, Md. Scott Taetsch Getty Images
The Cowboys signed Howell in free agency in March to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Howell spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles but did not see any playing time. He was drafted in the fifth round in 2022 by the Washington Commanders, with whom he spent two seasons before being traded to Seattle, then Minnesota and lastly Philadelphia. Howell has started 18 games in his career, 17 with Washington as the full-time starter in 2023.
“I’m always competing with myself, trying to go out there and be the best version of myself every day and try to get better and focus on what I can control and how I can help,” Howell said. “I’ve learned a lot of different systems, and I’ve been able to learn how to pick up things fast. You try to prepare every week like you’re going to play, and that’s what keeps you going.
“You never really know when you might play, so you can’t ever get comfortable if you aren’t playing. I obviously want to play, I want to be a starter in this league again. We’re trying to make each other better. Obviously we all want to compete and be better than each other but at the end of the day, we’ve got to focus on ourselves, get your job done.”
The quarterback competition will continue throughout the summer as the Cowboys will finish up OTAs on Thursday at their practice facility in Frisco before a mandatory minicamp June 16-18.
Game schedule dates, times, locations
NEXT UP: Game dates, times, locations, channel
Rangers ▶
June 1 Rangers 2, St. Louis 1
June 2 Rangers 7, St. Louis 4
June 3 St. Louis 5, Rangers 3
June 5 Rangers 3, Cleveland 2
June 6 Cleveland 6, Rangers 0
June 7 Rangers 10, Cleveland 0
June 9 at Kansas City, 6:40 p.m., RSN
June 10 at Kansas City, 6:40 p.m., RSN
June 11 at Kansas City, 1:10 p.m., RSN
June 12 at Boston, 6:10 p.m., CW
June 13 at Boston, 3:10 p.m., RSN
June 14 at Boston, 6:20 p.m., NBC, Peacock
Wings▶
May 22 Atlanta 86, Wings 69
May 24 Wings 91, New York 76
May 28 Wings 95, Las Vegas 87
June 1 Wings 79, Seattle 56
June 5 Wings 104, Los Angeles 96
June 9 at Minnesota, 7 p.m., KFAA
June 11 vs. Phoenix, 8 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
June 13 at Portland, 7:30 p.m., KFAA
June 15 vs. Las Vegas, 7 p.m., KFAA, USA
June 17 at Golden State, 9 p.m., KFAA
TCU Football ▶
2026 season
Aug. 29 vs. North Carolina (at Dublin), 11 a.m., ESPN
Sept. 12 vs. Grambling State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Sept. 19 vs. Arkansas State, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Sept. 26 at Central Florida, TBA
Oct. 3 vs. BYU, TBA
Oct. 17 at Baylor, TBA
Oct. 24 vs. West Virginia, TBA
Oct. 31 vs. Kansas, TBA
Nov. 6 at Arizona, 9:15 p.m., ESPN
Nov. 14 vs. Kansas State, TBA
Nov. 21 vs. Utah, TBA
Nov. 26 at Texas Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN
Cowboys ▶
Sept. 13 at N.Y. Giants, 7:20 p.m., NBC
Sept. 20 vs. Washington, 3:25 p.m., Fox
Sept. 27 vs. Baltimore (at Rio de Janeiro), 3:25 p.m., CBS
Oct. 4 at Houston, 12 p.m., Fox
Oct. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, 7:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Oct. 18 at Green Bay, 7:20 p.m., NBC
Oct. 26 at Philadelphia, 7:15 p.m., ESPN, ABC
Nov. 1 vs. Arizona, 12 p.m., Fox
Nov. 8 at Indianapolis, 12 p.m., Fox
Nov. 15 vs. San Francisco, 3:25 p.m., Fox
Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee, 12 p.m., Fox
Nov. 26 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., Fox
Dec. 7 at Seattle, 7:15 p.m., ESPN, ABC
Dec. 20 at L.A. Rams, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Dec. 27 vs. Jacksonville, 7:20 p.m., NBC
Jan. 3 vs. N.Y. Giants, 12 p.m., Fox
Jan. 9 or 10 at Washington, TBA
World Cup ▶
All local matches at AT&T Stadium
Group stage
June 14 Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F), 3 p.m., Fox
June 17 England vs. Croatia (Group L), 3 p.m., Fox
June 22 Argentina vs. Austria (Group J), 12 p.m., Fox
June 25 Japan vs. Sweden (Group F), 6 p.m., FS1
June 27 Argentina vs. Jordan (Group J), 9 p.m., Fox
Knockout round
June 30 Round of 32: Group E runner-up vs. Group I runner-up, 12 p.m., Fox
July 3 Round of 32: Group D runner-up vs. Group G runner-up, 1 p.m., Fox
