Cowboys waive Joe Milton, set Sam Howell as Dak Prescott’s backup after Monday roster adjustments

NFL teams kept reshaping their active rosters after the first wave of 53-man cutdowns, using waivers and injury designations to fine-tune depth charts. Among the notable moves Monday, the Dallas Cowboys made a quarterback-room adjustment by waiving Joe Milton, a decision that changes how the team is arranged behind Dak Prescott as the regular season approaches.

With Milton waived, Sam Howell remains on Dallas’s active roster as the backup to Prescott. The move is significant because it keeps the Cowboys’ immediate quarterback hierarchy stable while they continue to evaluate their depth at the position heading into the early regular-season window. Dallas’s decision also underlines how quickly preseason performances can be overtaken by the practical needs of a final roster.

In Washington, the Commanders placed left tackle Laremy Tunsil on injured reserve, a transaction that forces the organization to reconfigure its offensive line depth for the start of the season. Injured reserve placements typically mean the team is planning for an absence beyond the immediate weekend window, which increases the importance of who earns the next opportunity at the tackle spots.

The same roster-management day included an injury update involving wide receiver Malik Nabers, with FOX Sports reporting a status update as part of its NFL “catchup” wrap. Specifics beyond the existence of an update were not included in the available report preview, so it remains to be seen how quickly Washington expects Nabers to return and how the team structures its receiving corps if his availability changes.

Taken together, Dallas and Washington each used Monday as a marker day to settle key roles. For the Cowboys, the quarterback decision clarifies the immediate depth chart behind Prescott. For the Commanders, the tackle injury designation shifts the team’s offensive line planning and puts more pressure on backups and next-in-line starters to execute in early-season game plans.

What to watch next is how both teams fill the operational gaps created by these moves. Dallas’s waived quarterback could attract attention on the waiver wire, while Washington’s injured reserve decision will likely lead to a more prominent role for the next left-tackle option on the active roster. Meanwhile, any follow-up clarity on Nabers’ availability could affect snap distribution and matchup planning at wide receiver.