One of the main reasons Sam Howell signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys was coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Howell will compete with Joe Milton for the backup quarterback job behind starter Dak Prescott this summer in training camp.
And when Howell hit the free agent market after spending a year with Philadelphia, he looked for a team and coach where he could grow. That’s where Schottenheimer’s name came up.
“I know some guys that have been around him a lot and just everyone that knows him talks so highly about him,” Howell said in a Tuesday conference call. “I just think in my short conversations with him, he really knows the quarterback position well, and I love how he has Dak playing right now.”
Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer celebrates with quarterback Dak Prescott (4) after a 24-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFL football game at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Prescott was in the MVP conversation during the early stages of the 2025 season and finished top of the NFL in passes completed, second in passing attempts, third in passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes.
Schottenheimer has a good reputation as an offensive playcaller and has worked with some of the top quarterbacks in the game, including Brett Favre, Russell Wilson and Prescott. He was also a 29-year-old quarterbacks coach for the then-San Diego Chargers when Drew Brees was at the position.
Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick by Washington, has 18 starts in his career, including a win over the Cowboys in his first NFL start in 2022.
This is Howell’s fifth NFL team, third NFC East team. He’s also played in Seattle and played college football for North Carolina.
“Shoot, I’ve done a lot of moving and obviously that’s been good,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot the last couple of years. I’ve been to a lot of different places, learned a lot of different perspectives on the league. Dallas seems like a great place and I’m excited to get there and work with Schotty. He’s a guy I have a lot of respect for, obviously. Dak is a guy I’ve got a lot of respect for. Dak, just the way he plays the game and how much success he’s had.
“Shoot, I’d love to have an opportunity to be here as long as they want me here.”
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