FRISCO, Texas – It's been a busy week for the Dallas Cowboys as they wrap up training camp and prepare for the regular season. First comes a league mandated break, where Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said he'd enjoy some time with his daughters but find a way to get his heart rate going.
Dallas' quarterback room is now back at three, after the team brought Joe Milton back on the practice squad Wednesday afternoon. Prescott is glad that he's back.
"It means a lot," Prescott said of Milton's return. "Obviously, me just personally, I thought he would've gotten picked up in the waivers. Fortunate for us, we got a hell of a player back and a guy that makes our room better, a guy that makes our team better. His spirit, just the way that he approaches the day… he's a hell of a dude, a hell of a competitor."
The process of Dallas' backup quarterback competition between Milton and Sam Howell, as well as other position battles across the roster, follows Brian Schottenheimer's "compete every day" mantra to a T, in Prescott's eyes.
"When you're talking about the competition in the two spot, that's how important every competition on this team is, and that's really how close every competition on this team was," Prescott said. "And I think that's credit to those guys, and the roster they put together… just as much credit to the coaches as the guys in the locker room not backing down from any kind of competition, fighting for their lives, fighting for their jobs."
Winning the backup quarterback job was Sam Howell, who said on Wednesday that he wasn't sure what would be asked of him as Prescott's backup, but he'd be willing to do whatever it took to help out. Prescott sees Howell as a great fit for the role.
"Just doing whatever we ask him throughout the week of breaking down the defenses or giving us some kind of nugget that we're not necessarily seeing," Prescott said of Howell's responsibilities. "Sam's a great guy for that."
One of the main talking points of the offseason surrounding the Cowboys has been the lack of contract disputes which have typically surfaced during training camp and into the beginning of the season.
With none of those major headlines during the 2026 training camp or offseason cycle, more of the focus has been around what's happening on the field, which Prescott views as a positive.
"I think it not only allows us to be focused, but the narrative around us and the distraction or attention or whatever you want to say around us, to be focused on just ball," Prescott said. "I think ultimately that helps, that helps the environment coming to work… We know what we've got, we know who we've got and we're ready to roll."
With a lot of positivity over the course of the last few months with George Pickens remaining in Dallas, building a revamped defense and returning all starters on offense, does 2026 feel like a different kind of year?
"It's definitely different," Prescott said. "You guys know I'm optimistic going into every season kind of with that mindset, and yeah, it's an NFL season. Positive vibes and good energy doesn't win you games. Understanding we've put ourselves in a great position… Right now, the energy and everything is great, but we've got to make sure we're doing everything to be accountable to each other."
Accountability to his teammates is one of Prescott's jobs not just as a member of Dallas' leadership council, but in his familiar role as a captain of the team. Brian Schottenheimer announced Thursday that Prescott, Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Brandon Aubrey would be the Cowboys' four captains for the 2026 season.
Williams' locker is placed right next to Prescott's at the team's locker room in the Star. That's for a reason, and Williams' leadership has already shown itself despite his short time in Dallas.
"He's a hell of a guy," Prescott said. "Obviously since we got him last year, you can see the impact and watch the guys around him and know that that's rubbing off on them and just the way they approach this game. He's one of the best leaders in the locker room. He's a great guy for me to be able to talk to."
After the short break coming up for the Cowboys and their players, it's back to game week for the first time in 2026 with kickoff against the New York Giants on September 13.
