“Sam Howell Is Trash”: NFL Legend Rips Cowboys for Cutting Joe Milton From 53-Man Roster

On Monday, August 31, the Dallas Cowboys had to make some tough decisions. They decided to keep Sam Howell as the quarterback behind Dak Prescott. This move did not sit well with Roddy White, who took a stand for preseason standout Joe Milton, who was cut from the 53-man roster.

"How the hell joe Milton get cut he literally dominated the whole preseason," the former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver wrote on X on Monday. "Sam Howell is trash like dumpster trash."

Dallas initially moved forward with a three-quarterback plan on their initial 53-man roster on Sunday. However, the next day, they waived Milton in order to make space for running back Emari Demercado, whom the Cowboys signed after he was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 26-year-old Milton arrived in Dallas last year via a trade with the New England Patriots. He played in four games, recording 183 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Milton then turned heads during the 2026 preseason, completing 29 of 43 attempts for 378 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Definitely, his efficiency made him a strong contender in the QB2 race. But ultimately, the Cowboys chose Howell, whose last-game heroics in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints might have pushed his case.

Howell initially struggled after halftime, going three-and-out on his first third-quarter drive, which ended with a sack. But he answered with a massive 52-yard completion to Jordan Hudson. On the first play of the fourth quarter, he followed it with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Hudson and then led a 12-play, 67-yard drive capped by Mitch Van Voren's 21-yard touchdown. Howell added the two-point conversion himself, tying the game.

Milton, however, was broadly expected to win the QB2 race after his preseason performance. For instance, Asante Samuel had put Milton on a pedestal.

"The Dallas Cowboys are gonna end up winning the NFC East. It's just my prediction. I still expect them to be that good if Joe Milton does end up having to take over for some unfortunate reason, some unfortunate circumstances," Samuel shared on his podcast, "Say What Needs to be Said". "That probably will increase the Cowboys' chances of getting further in the playoffs. It's just another way of saying Joe Milton III brings more to the table than Dak Prescott."

Milton also attracted comparisons to Cam Newton from Saints guest coach Nicholas Williams during their joint practice.

While Roddy White is upset with the Cowboys' move, Star Telegram's Nick Harris finds a silver lining in the timing.

"I'm chalking up the timing of the Joe Milton III release to roster/waiver strategy," he wrote on X. "Release him on Sunday, much higher chance he gets claimed. Release him today, a lot of teams have their QB situations figured out, making it more likely he clears waivers. Just my take."

Per ESPN, the Cowboys explored trade opportunities for Milton before Sunday's 53-man roster deadline. Should he clear waivers, Dallas could re-sign him to the practice squad, but it remains uncertain whether the team will pursue that option.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys were in a tough spot. Howell had a $2.5 million guaranteed contract. In case they chose the route of releasing the quarterback, they would still owe him his $2 million base salary. Even by placing him on the practice squad, the salary obligation would still apply because his money was guaranteed.

That's why they thought of compromising and waived Milton.

Because Milton has not achieved vested veteran status in his third season, he is subject to waivers rather than free agency. If no other team claims him, Dallas gets to keep him on its practice squad.