Published September 1, 2026 04:01 PM

In a bit of a surprise move, the Cowboys waived quarterback Joe Milton on Monday. They hope to sign him back to the practice squad.

Dallas named Sam Howell the backup to Dak Prescott and left Milton temporarily out of work after the Cowboys claimed running back Emari Demercado and needed a roster spot.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer and executive vice president Stephen Jones both said Tuesday that they want Milton back on the practice squad as the team’s third quarterback. Milton’s departure would necessitate signing a different third quarterback.

The Cowboys are waiting to see if Milton clears waivers.

“Joe obviously played really good in the preseason games,” Jones said on All DLLS Cowboys. “We really liked his performance. Sam did as well. But at the end of the day, when you took the full body of work in training camp, the practices against other teams, the coaches thought — albeit really close — Sam was the best choice for the team to go with as two now. We’d love to have Joe back. A lot of teams in this league figure out ways to carry three and four [quarterbacks]. We’ve got a lot of stress on our roster with this new defense and things that we’re doing that we can carry two [quarterbacks]. We’re in talks with Joe. We’ll see if he gets claimed. If he doesn’t, we’d love to have Joe back as our three and on the practice squad.”

In three preseason games, Milton completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He added 12 carries for 14 yards and a rushing touchdown.

The Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick to New England for Milton in the 2025 offseason, and he served as Prescott’s backup last season.

Cowboys want Joe Milton back on the practice squad

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