Role Call: Sam Howell eyes Cowboys’ QB2 track as training camp begins

Dallas is starting its 2026 training camp preparation with another quarterback in the conversation for meaningful reps, and Sam Howell is the name that fits the moment. In an official team feature, the Cowboys framed Howell as a veteran who is stepping into the offense with a clear purpose, challenge for the QB2 seat, and make it difficult for the competition to settle in without earning it.

Howell’s path to this summer includes stops that matter to the Cowboys’ fan base, beginning with the Washington Commanders. After a productive college career at the University of North Carolina, he was selected by Washington in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Cowboys’ training-camp spotlight on him emphasizes that he comes from one of their most familiar rivals, with a résumé that has already included multiple NFL systems and a recent run that also put him across the NFC East landscape.

Before Howell ever reached the league, his UNC production supplied the early proof of concept. The Cowboys’ release notes that he set program records for passing yards (10,283) and career touchdown passes (92). It also highlights accolades that followed that production, including ACC Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 and All-ACC recognition in 2019 and 2020, and it points out that he originally committed to Florida State before flipping to the Tar Heels.

In the NFL, the Cowboys described a progression that has carried him through several organizations. According to Dallas, Howell has suited up for the Washington Commanders, the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings, and most recently another NFC rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, prior to signing with Dallas on a one-year deal in 2026. The implication for Dallas’ depth chart is straightforward: Howell is not arriving as an unknown prospect, and the team is treating the camp reps as an opportunity for him to translate prior experience into a defined role.

The immediate competition, as outlined by the Cowboys, centers on Joe Milton. The release states that Milton has a one-year head start in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense, learning behind All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott. That context sets the pressure Howell is expected to carry: Dallas is indicating that Howell will need crisp execution, particularly with reads and throws, because Milton’s advantage is time on task in the system.

Howell’s challenge for QB2 also comes with an expectation that the Cowboys will keep three quarterbacks on the roster. The team feature ties that roster math to how the competition is likely to be evaluated, noting that while carrying three QBs may be the usual approach, Howell is not expected to treat the battle as a rung that simply lands him at QB3. Instead, the Cowboys are presenting the camp window as a chance for him to push toward the next level, closer to the backup role and more consistent involvement in game preparation.

For what comes next, the most important watch point is how quickly Howell separates between “having command” in practice and “owning” the reps that would make him the most trusted option behind Prescott. Dallas’ own framing makes the standard clear: training camp will be the stage where Howell has to make the offense run with precision rather than merely participate in it. If he can tighten the reads and deliver on schedule, Howell’s claim to QB2 will become harder to ignore; if not, the competition’s timetable will likely lean on the one-year learning advantage Milton already has.

Sam Howell’s camp story, in other words, is not only about one player’s summer. It is about Dallas’ ability to define stability at the quarterback position beyond Prescott, and about how the Cowboys evaluate execution in real time when multiple quarterbacks are vying for differentiated roles. The next storyline will be whether Howell’s veteran experience translates into the specific, repeatable sharpness Dallas is asking for, and whether the “challenge” the team described turns into a settled pecking order by the end of camp.