Cowboys’ roster cutdown weekend tightens the backup quarterback battle behind Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys are entering the roster cutdown weekend with several late-stage decisions still unresolved, and the most closely watched could be the quarterback position behind Dak Prescott. In a team preview piece, Cowboys reporter Tim Spagnola framed the situation as difficult to unpack, emphasizing that the backup role is still a near-even competition rather than a settled pecking order.

Spagnola’s look at the Cowboys’ roster-building process points to Joe Milton and Sam Howell as the two quarterbacks currently in the tightest competition for the backup spot. The context here matters because in most seasons the backup quarterback role is not simply about who can run the plays, but who provides the best combination of execution, preparation with the first unit when opportunities arise, and reliability in the weeks leading into regular-season game plans.

Prescott’s presence as the starter sets the baseline expectation, with the team’s quarterback decision centered on who can best support Prescott’s workload and handle the unpredictable elements of an NFL season. That includes absorbing the practice rhythm required to operate the offense with starters during high-leverage preparation stretches, as well as being ready to step in without a drop-off in structure if the game flow shifts.

Spagnola did not portray the quarterback decision as isolated. Instead, the column described it as one piece of a larger set of “tough” roster choices that remain to be finalized before the Cowboys trim to the regular-season limit. That broader roster context is part of why the quarterback battle is so notable: teams often have to balance depth at multiple positions, special teams needs, and the flexibility to carry certain players based on weekly matchups.

The Milton-versus-Howell competition also illustrates how training camp evaluation can narrow quickly. While both players have had their own routes to this stage, the Cowboys’ public framing suggests that, at this point in the process, the staff is still weighing how each would fit into the same backup quarterback job description. Spagnola’s language of uncertainty, and the specific mention of the battle being “neck-and-neck,” indicates the coaching staff is not ready to close the file.

For fans, the practical question before cutdown weekend is not who is the more talented passer in a vacuum, but who the Cowboys trust more to execute the offense under the specific circumstances of the second-string role. That means accuracy, decision-making, command of timing patterns, and the ability to work the playbook quickly while receiving reps with a rotating group of teammates at full speed.

What to watch next is straightforward: the Cowboys’ final roster announcement will clarify whether the team has ultimately leaned toward Milton, Howell, or kept the decision structured in another way that reflects how they view complementary depth at the position. Until then, the backup spot remains the centerpiece of Dallas’ most important late roster question, with Spagnola’s report underscoring that the decision is still moving and still not fully resolved.