Dallas Cowboys waive Joe Milton III after initial 53-man roster evaluation

The Dallas Cowboys waived Joe Milton III on Sunday following the team's reduction to a 53-man roster. Milton, who competed for the backup quarterback role against Sam Howell, demonstrated progress during the preseason, including a notable performance against Arizona where he recorded two touchdown passes and a rushing score. Despite public praise from team personnel regarding his development and arm strength, internal concerns reportedly surfaced regarding his focus. Cowboys insider Bobby Belt stated that team staff were dissatisfied with Milton's attention to professional requirements throughout the week. While ESPN reported that Dallas explored trade options for the quarterback prior to the roster cut-down, no deal was finalized. The team remains a potential landing spot for Milton on the practice squad, though he is expected to draw interest from other organizations across the league.

• 8:24 PMCBS NFL — Making sense of Cowboys' surprising roster cuts ahead of 2026 season: Joe Milton, Jaydon Blue and more
• 6:13 PMYahoo Sports — Cowboys’ Reasons for Shocking Cut of QB Starting to Leak Out