Schottenheimer backs Cowboys’ backup QB competition, citing Howell and Milton as “capable”

Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday that he believes the Cowboys have two capable backup quarterbacks in Sam Howell and Joe Milton, framing their ongoing battle as a strength for the team rather than a question mark. The comments were made as Dallas works through its camp reps and prepares for the regular-season roster decisions that follow the preseason stretch.

Schottenheimer’s point was straightforward, that both quarterbacks bring enough to be trusted in a backup role. Howell and Milton are the two players in the spotlight for Dallas’ second-team quarterback duties, with each getting opportunities to show command of the offense, decision-making under pressure, and readiness to step in if starter reps or game situations require it. Coach-to-coach evaluations tend to hinge on consistency, but also on whether a backup can operate the offense without fundamentally changing how it looks.

The Cowboys, like all NFL teams, place a premium on depth behind the starter. Quarterback injuries and unexpected changes are part of the league’s baseline reality, and the coaching staff’s job is to keep the offense functional if that scenario arrives. By emphasizing that he views both Howell and Milton as “capable,” Schottenheimer suggested Dallas is not relying on a single specific profile for the backup role, but instead sees more than one path to execution.

How the competition plays out will matter for more than just the depth chart. A quarterback who can reliably manage a game, protect the ball, and deliver accurate throws on schedule gives a team flexibility in play-calling. In the backup role, the margin is often about rhythm and game plan buy-in, particularly in the run-pass balance and red-zone sequences where tempo and judgment are tight.

Schottenheimer’s confidence also carries recruiting-style messaging inside a professional roster context: it indicates that Dallas plans to evaluate the quarterbacks in a serious way rather than treating the battle as predetermined. At the same time, it is not an official designation of who will win the job. “Capable” is an assessment of potential and trustworthiness, not a declaration that the competition is already settled.

For Dallas fans, the practical takeaway is to watch how Howell and Milton respond to the same kinds of reps with the second unit. Look for who can consistently move the offense across multiple drives, whether they protect the ball in stressful downs, and how effectively they hit timing throws that set up completions for the playmakers around them.

The next checkpoint will be how the coaching staff separates the two quarterbacks in late-camp and preseason game situations. If one shows clearer command of the offense’s structure, reads, and communication, it typically becomes visible quickly once the team starts playing meaningful snaps against live NFL competition.