Cowboys Cut Joe Milton, Leaving Sam Howell as Dak's Only Backup
Milton's 378-yard, 3-TD preseason wasn't enough to stick in Dallas. The QB room behind Dak Prescott just got a lot thinner.
Still a top-6 QB, but the backup room is now paper-thin.
- Milton went 29-of-43, 378 yds, 3 TD in preseason
- Howell now Dak's only backup QB
- Demercado claimed off waivers from KC
- Prescott: 4552 yds, 30 TD, 0 INT in 2025 (17 gm)
- Howell: 1 PPR pt across 3 games in 2024
Dallas has waived quarterback Joe Milton, and the timing is a little surprising given what he put on tape this summer. Milton completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns across the preseason, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer reportedly liked what he saw. Good reviews, good numbers — and still a pink slip.
The move leaves Sam Howell as the only quarterback behind Dak Prescott. That's the headline that should matter to fantasy managers: Dallas is now one hit away from Howell, a passer with exactly 24 career passing yards and 1 PPR point across three games in 2024. The cushion behind Prescott just got razor-thin.
Why The Cut Happened
This wasn't a talent decision so much as a roster-math one. The Cowboys claimed running back Emari Demercado off waivers from Kansas City, and someone had to go to make room. Milton drew the short straw. He can rejoin the practice squad if he clears waivers, though his preseason production means another team might pounce first to keep developing him.
Demercado himself is a name to file away rather than act on. He posted 312 rushing yards and 13 catches for 101 yards and a score in 13 games last season (2025, actual), and he lands at RB62 in our rankings (#277 overall). Depth-piece stuff for now — monitor his role, but there's nothing to chase here yet.
The Fantasy Fallout
Prescott remains the centerpiece and the reason this news matters. He finished 2025 with 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns and zero interceptions across 17 games — 330 PPR points — and sits at QB6 (#12 overall) in our rankings. His last five games ran 4.8 fantasy points below his season average, but that's a blip, not a trend to panic over.
The takeaway is simple: hold Prescott with total confidence, but understand the injury risk profile just changed. If Dak goes down, the Cowboys' offense — and any fantasy value tied to it — falls off a cliff with Howell under center. Handcuffing a QB isn't standard practice, but Dak owners should absolutely have a contingency plan on their radar.
