FRISCO, Texas – As the Cowboys trimmed their roster to 53 players earlier in the week, the team made a decision on their backup quarterback.
After initially keeping both Sam Howell and Joe Milton on the 53-man roster Sunday, Dallas chose to waive Milton on Monday, leaving Howell as the backup to Dak Prescott.
"Obviously, extremely excited to be a part of this team and be a part of this organization," Howell said. "It's been a lot of hard work, and the work doesn't stop now. I'm committed to this team and I'm going to try to find ways to help this team win, and that's my job, and I'm excited to be here for sure."
Howell, who is heading into his fifth NFL season, was no stranger to quarterback competitions when he signed with the Cowboys this offseason. He kept the same mindset in Dallas' QB2 battle that he has across every competition he's been a part of over the course of his career.
"It's never about the other person, it's about trying to be the best version of yourself and setting a high standard for yourself and trying to be the best you can be," Howell said. "It's never about looking over your shoulder or anything like that, it's 'How can I get better?...'"
"It was fun, good competition and I feel like I got better from it. I think Joe would say the same. And obviously, a lot of respect for Joe. Joe's a great player and an extremely talented guy, and all he's done is got better. So obviously wishing Joe the best of luck, not sure if he's coming back, but Joe's journey is not over, that's for sure."
Being in the league for half a decade and participating in those competitions has also taught Howell the value on having competition across the roster.
"You learn as you kind of get older in the league, you learn how beneficial competition can be," Howell said. "Obviously, you don't want players to be comfortable all the time because they're not really pushing themselves. So I think anytime you can have competition against a good player, it's going to make you better, and I think it definitely did."
The Cowboys will carry a third quarterback on the practice squad, whether it's Milton or a different current free agent, but Howell is the one who has earned Brian Schottenheimer and company's trust behind Dak Prescott. Depending on who the starter is, Howell's job as the backup can vary, and he says he'll get a better idea of what his role entails when the regular season begins.
"I've been a lot of different places and I've backed up a lot of different guys and everybody's kind of different," Howell said. "They kind of have a process here, and there's a lot of help in the quarterback room. [QB coach Steve] Shimko does a good job, adding Will Grier as well helps us a lot. So I 'll ask those guys what they need from me throughout the week and I'll be happy to help."
Howell is especially happy to help Prescott, who he's grown to build a relationship with in the quarterback room and on the golf course as well.
"I love Dak," Howell said. "Dak's been great to me, he's been a great mentor and it's been fun to learn from him in the meeting room, on the practice field and just in life in general. Dak's a really smart guy, he's a good guy, great teammate, one of the best teammates I've been around. It's been a fun time in the quarterback room… Part of the reason why I wanted to come here was to learn from a guy like Dak. He's been great to me and I'm excited to help him this year."
Prescott's mentorship has only begun in the offseason, and Howell feels he'll have plenty more to learn from Dallas' 11th year starter over the course of their first regular season together.
"I'm going to learn a lot this year throughout the season, I think that's when you can learn the most," Howell said. "But he's a pro, man. Just the way he approaches the game and I think just the way he leads. He's one of the best leaders, if not the best leader I've ever been around. It's been fun to watch how he gets the other guys around him going. This team looks to him, and it's cool to be a part of a team like that."
Howell's father, Duke Howell, is a high school football coach at Myers Park high school in the Charlotte area and has coached Howell his entire life. Being a coach's kid gives him an understanding of what it means to understand both sides of the football fence.
"I've just grown up around the game," Howell said. "I feel like it's helped me learn a lot. I can kind of see things sometimes from a coach's perspective just from talking to my dad. My dad has coached me my whole life. He's a big reason as far as why I am where I am today. Just the things he taught me when I was young and the values that he instilled for me I was a young player, he's still coaching right now. It's been cool, I think it's just giving me a different perspective. When you can see things from different lenses, it kind of helps you as a player."
It especially helps at the quarterback position.
"A lot of times when you're the quarterback out there, it's like an extension of the coaches, where you're the guy that's supposed to help people get lined up and help people know their assignment and you're the only guy the coach is talking to in the helmet," Howell said. "So if coach needs you to relay a message, that's your job. I think there's definitely a lot of, especially playing quarterback, when you're around a coach your whole life it can help you."
Now, Howell is looking to help the rest of Dallas' team as the backup to Dak Prescott in 2026.
