Cowboys Nation may now exhale as quarterback Joe Milton is back in the building for Dallas following a tumultuous waiver wire watch.
Originally believed to be the leader for the backup QB spot behind Dak Prescott, Milton was waived a day after the original 53-man roster was released
leaving fans flabbergasted as to the reasoning and leaving fellow signal-caller Sam Howell as the winner of the competition.Dallas needed to open up a roster spot to add running back Emari Demercado to the rosterafter claiming him off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The surprising move left him unprotected, allowing any team to claim the talented yet unproven QB, but Milton passed through waivers unclaimed and then became free to sign with any team. Milton undoubtedly
weighed his options, and has now returned to the Cowboys as a member of the practice squad.
Sources: The #Cowboys are signing QB Joe Milton to their PS.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 2, 2026
The talented 26-year-old drew interest from most NFL teams but wanted to stay in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/iQRZcbY7wy
Milton did not immediately sign back with Dallas after he cleared waivers, leading some to think he might go elsewhere for a more favorable opportunity. Teams are allowed to poach players from other practice squads, meaning Milton is still somewhat unprotected until Dallas places him on their active roster.
Until then, Milton is back in Dallas and the teams' roster appears set heading into their Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants.
Dallas originally acquired Milton and a 2026 seventh-round pick from New Englandfor a 2026 fifth-rounder. He was the primary backup to Prescott last season yet played sparingly, appearing only four games last season while attempting just 24 passes.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that the decision to go with Howell had been extremely difficult and acknowledged that Dallas wanted Milton back on the practice squad if he cleared waivers.
Milton had a strong preseason, yet Dallas calculated that most teams had already situated their quarterback rooms a day after original waiver claims had been submitted. Ultimately, the gamble worked in the Cowboys' favor and Milton now returns to a familiar offense while continuing to develop behind Prescott and Howell.
The Cowboys may have decided Milton wasn't ready to be QB2. They clearly weren't ready to give up on him either.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: QB Joe Milton rejoins Cowboys practice squad after being waived
