Cowboys cut Joe Milton III one day after keeping him on the 53
The Dallas Cowboys kept Joe Milton III on their 53-man roster for one day. Then they released him.
Pro Football Network reported the move. It comes a day after Milton made the initial roster, leaving Dallas with just two quarterbacks: Dak Prescott and Sam Howell.
The Cowboys' official site has framed Howell as the backup competition winner, and the team closes its 2026 preseason at AT&T Stadium this week. Milton won't be there.
This isn't a reversal of thinking. It's a roster shuffle. The 53-man roster is a fluid document, and the Cowboys need spots for positions that actually see the field. Milton is a quarterback who wasn't trusted to hold a roster spot. By releasing him now, Dallas gives him a chance to clear waivers and then bring him back on the practice squad. That keeps his arm in the building without costing a live roster spot.
Everyone will call this a surprise because the timing is awkward. It's not. Teams do this every year. The Cowboys just happen to have a starter and a backup already ahead of the third guy. Milton was never going to sniff the field in 2026.
If another team claims Milton off waivers, the Cowboys lose a player they didn't need. If he clears, they get him back at practice-squad prices. Either way, Dallas moves on. The only way this hurts is if you believed Milton had a real shot at meaningful snaps. He didn't.
The Cowboys didn't botch this. They made a calculated decision to carry two quarterbacks and spend the extra spot on a player who might actually play. Milton's next destination will tell you whether they were right.