The Dallas Cowboys spent the preseason watching Joe Milton III look increasingly comfortable in their offense. Then, just as he appeared to be making his strongest case to stay, they let him go.

Dallas waived Milton on Monday to create room for running back Emari Demercado, leaving Sam Howell as the clear backup to Dak Prescott.

It was a striking decision because Milton had done almost everything the Cowboys could have asked of him during the preseason.

He completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception, showing improved accuracy and a better grasp of the offense than he had a year earlier.

Milton had also been praised internally for his development, making his release feel less like the end of a failed experiment and more like a calculated gamble.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer had suggested only recently that the competition was still unsettled.

“We’re still piecing the puzzle together, and that’s where this thing is very fluid,” Schottenheimer said.

Now the puzzle has been solved, at least at quarterback.

Sam Howell’s experience gave him the edge

Howell also had a productive preseason, completing 27 of 40 passes for 314 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while adding a rushing score.

What separated him most was experience. Howell has 18 career NFL starts, all with Washington, while Milton has appeared in five regular-season games and has never started.

That matters for a team with playoff expectations and an established starter in Prescott. If Dallas needs its backup for a short stretch, Howell offers a much larger sample of NFL game experience.

His contract may have also played a role. Howell signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million guaranteed, and releasing him would still have left Dallas responsible for his $2 million base salary.

Milton, meanwhile, had no control over how the competition ultimately played out.

“That’s out of my control,” Milton said during the preseason. “The only thing I’m able to do is go out there and call the play, and just make sure the offense is moving. Whatever they decide, they decide.”

Dallas risks losing developing quarterback

That’s where the decision becomes more complicated. Milton wasn’t simply a fringe player struggling to survive roster cuts. He had shown real progress and looked increasingly capable of becoming a dependable NFL backup.

The Cowboys reportedly explored trade possibilities involving him before finalizing the roster but didn’t find a deal. Now he must pass through waivers.

If another team claims him, Dallas loses a developmental quarterback who appeared to be trending upward. If he clears, the Cowboys could potentially bring him back on the practice squad.

Milton himself believed the offense was beginning to come naturally.

“You get to do a lot more,” he said. “Just being able to go through that process of a whole year being in this offense to now, it’s great.”

Howell may be the safer choice today. The unanswered question is whether Dallas just gave away the quarterback with more room to grow tomorrow.