With just hours left before the roster deadline, the Dallas Cowboys faced a near-impossible choice. They needed to make a spot for one player on the team. RB Emari Demercado was available on waivers, but to sign him, they would have to cut one of their second-string quarterbacks. 

They weren’t going to put up their newly signed QB, Sam Howell, on the chopping block. And that was enough to decide they would sneak Joe Milton III through the waiver list. Even though they succeeded, their treatment of Milton hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

Former Patriots and Cardinals cornerback Asante Samuel spoke about the franchise’s treatment of Milton for a second time. On his Say What Needs To Be Said podcast, Asante made the case about Milton’s performance from last season, arguing that he should have been Dak Prescott’s backup QB over Sam Howell.

“He damn near played a perfect game per his quarterback rating, but didn’t make the team. Make that make sense. And what makes it worse is there isn’t even a third-string quarterback on the depth chart for the Dallas Cowboys. And I dare Jerry Jones- anybody who has authority for the Dallas Cowboys to run it back and have the players vote on which quarterback they want to back up Dak Prescott. Because who in the hell is choosing Sam Howell over Joe Milton?”

Now, Asante has an interesting perspective. The Cowboys traded their fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to acquire Milton from the New England Patriots, after the quarterback impressed with his performance. There’s no denying that Milton had limited opportunities while backing up Prescott in the 2025 season. But the 26-year-old turned heads this preseason.

Milton completed 29 of 43 attempts for 378 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He added a rushing score to seal the deal. Meanwhile, Howell trailed him with 314 passing yards and three touchdowns. 

The numbers speak for themselves. More importantly, Milton had a reputation for being a strong passer. During his time spent with the Vols, receivers reported his throws were strong enough to rip their gloves. And in the preseason, he showed the same with multiple 50+ yard throws. We can see why Asante is surprised. 

But realistically, cutting Howell wasn’t an option. He has been signed with $2.5 million guaranteed, and considering his experience, there was a good chance that a team could have picked Howell up. Moreover, that same experience is what the Cowboys might be looking for. 

Last season, Prescott powered the offense. But the team still needs a solid backup option. Howell is that option for the Cowboys. He had already gone up against Jacoby Brissett for a starting spot. By the end of his second season, he was ranked 12th in the NFL for passing yards (3,946). 

But even then, the decision to waive Milton wasn’t easy. “Quarterback rooms around the league are pretty crowded right now, but he’s certainly talented enough to get claimed. It’s our good fortune that he wasn’t,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said.

However, Samuel believes the team has made the wrong choice. 

“Nobody. Nobody in their right mind. Sam Howell, he might have a couple of friends who would give him the benefit of the doubt and vote for him just based on their relationship. But man, the Dallas Cowboys dragged Joe Milton value down to the ground, knowing they would get him back to the practice squad, and no other team will use his talent to potentially beat up on the Dallas Cowboys. I think this is just sad. It’s awful.”

And it’s not his first time saying this. When news of Milton being cut first broke, Samuel weighed in on the situation, and his stance remained the same. “How the h— Joe Milton get cut. He literally dominated the whole preseason. Sam Howell is trash like dumpster trash.”

Samuel’s argument, however, isn’t simply that Milton deserved the QB2 job. His criticism centers on Dallas’ decision to expose a young quarterback with considerable physical upside to the waiver wire in the hope that it could eventually bring him back. 

Their goal now will be to keep Milton motivated. Reports suggested that he wasn’t happy, and Prescott later confirmed it. The mission for Prescott will be to keep Milton pushing to be better. 

For me, it’s just about being the right leader and the right brother for him, giving him everything he needs and make sure that he’s not pissed off. I mean, I’m sure he’s pissed off, but doesn’t allow that competition and him not getting what he wants to derail his overall growth and just the progression and the route trajectory that he’s ultimately on and just staying on that.”