Sam Howell seemingly has the lead now for the Dallas Cowboys in terms of who is going to back up starting quarterback Dak Prescott. One can assume that the current lead is precarious, however. To cement his status and keep getting paid to play football, Howell might need a great showing against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks.
When the two teams clash in preseason Week 1, Prescott is unlikely to play, but Howell and Joe Milton will. The ironic part is that some of Howell's old teammates will be trying to keep him from employment. That is nothing personal, though. Everybody is trying to earn a roster spot.
Howell played one season for Seattle but was then traded last year during the draft. He was sent to the Minnesota Vikings before eventually landing with the Philadelphia Eagles. This offseason. Howell signed with Dallas. He is still only 25 years old and has already lived several NFL lives.
Former Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Howell needs to star for the Dallas Cowboys
After starting all 17 games for the Washington Commanders in 2023, he was traded to Seattle before Washington drafted Jayden Daniels. Howell threw for 21 touchdowns in 2023, but also 21 interceptions. He wasn't going to be the team's long-term quarterback.
He wasn't going to be with Seattle either. He backed up Geno Smith (who is now on his second team since being traded by the Seahawks in the 2025 offseason), and it was in his one game replacing Smith in 2024 that sealed his fate with general manager John Schneider's team.
Howell was atrocious. He came into a game with Seattle trailing the Minnesota Vikings, never a great time for a quarterback coming in cold and having to throw a lot immediately, but Howell appeared as if he had never studied a note of the Seattle Seahawks' playbook. He completed five of 14 passes for 24 yards and an interception. He was sacked four times.
But now, he could be next in line should something happen to Dak Prescott. According to The Athletic's Jon Machota, "Sam Howell, to me, is clearly ahead of Joe Milton right now. If (Dallas) had to play one game right now -- (if) they have to play two games, whatever -- Sam Howell is ahead of Joe Milton."
The "right now" part is key. Milton backed up Prescott last season, but is a raw player who needs a lot more development. Howell is as developed as he is going to be, but has a low ceiling. The backup quarterback position could flip easily, and that flip could come against the Seahawks.
While Seattle has seen some attrition since Howell left, many of the teammates he had in the Pacific Northwest are still part of the Seahawks' roster. Those old teammates won't want Howell to succeed when Seattle hosts Dallas in preseason Week 1, but not because Howell is a bad guy.
Most of the starters won't play for either team. Backups will be trying to cement their place on the depth chart and the team overall. If Howell has a bad day at Lumen Field, Milton could move back to QB2, but Seattle players will have earned their keep.
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