Dallas Cowboys

George Pickens

WR

Pickens currently is slated to play out the 2026 campaign on the one-year, fully-guaranteed $27.29 million franchise tag, though he and Dallas still have until mid-July to negotiate a potential long-term deal. The 25-year-old has not yet officially signed his franchise tag, however. Schottenheimer said, "We have plans for [Pickens] to be here for a long time, so we'll let the business side of this thing play out," and the coach confirmed that he hasn't sought any assurances that Pickens will attend any voluntary team activities. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones echoed Schottenheimer's statements, noting that "everybody would like to have a long-term deal" but "[w]e're just not gonna comment as we move forward on negotiations."

Jonathan Bullard

DE

Bullard spent the 2025 season in New Orleans while serving in a rotational role along the defensive line. He logged only 325 defensive snaps -- his lowest since 2022 -- and he may play in a similarly limited fashion in 2026, given the Cowboys' investment in their defensive line in the last two offseasons.

Derion Kendrick

CB

Kendrick kicked off the 2025 campaign handling a depth role with Seattle, but he was waived after 10 regular-season appearances and then claimed by the Rams, playing five more games. The cornerback and special-teamer will compete for a reserve gig in Dallas.

Corey Ballentine

CB

Ballentine spent last summer with the Packers but was cut ahead of Week 1 and signed with New England, spending most of September with the team. He then signed with Dallas, where he spent much of the 2025 campaign on the practice squad. Ballentine will compete for a job this offseason.

T.J. Bass

G

Bass had been a restricted free agent and was tendered by the Cowboys in early March. He could compete for the starting role at left guard in 2026, although competition might still be coming via free agency or the draft.

Reddy Steward

CB

Steward blossomed in his second NFL campaign and his first with the Cowboys in 2025, playing all 17 games and making five starts. He logged 40 tackles including 1.5 sacks, three defensed passes and one forced fumble while playing mostly in the slot. Dallas picked up Cobie Durant, who has experience in the slot, this offseason, and further additions at corner in the draft could push Steward into a depth role in 2026.

Princeton Fant

TE

The terms of the contract have yet to be announced, but Fant will return to the Cowboys for the 2026 season. He spent most of the 2025 campaign on the Cowboys' practice squad and, and his lone regular-season appearance came in Week 9 against the Cardinals, when he played 11 snaps on special teams without showing up on the box score otherwise.

Cobie Durant

CB

Durant appeared in all 17 regular-season games for the Rams last season, making 15 starts, and finished with 40 tackles (30 solo) and seven pass breakups, including three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Durant will compete for cornerback snaps alongside Shavon Revel (concussion), Caelen Carson and Trikweze Bridges opposite DaRon Bland (foot).

Matt Hennessy

C

Hennessy appeared in all 17 regular-season games for the 49ers last season, making a pair of starts. The veteran interior offensive lineman has made 64 career regular-season appearances, including 24 starts, and will likely fill a similar role in Dallas.

Rashan Gary

DE

The Cowboys' trade for Gary in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick was made official Wednesday with the beginning of the new league year. A 2019 first-round pick, Gary will shore up a Dallas defensive front anchored at DT by All-Pro Quinnen Williams and former Green Bay teammate Kenny Clark, providing a foundation for the pass rush to get home. Walker reports that Gary will be tasked to line up both at defensive end and outside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker's scheme, an every-down role that figures to be friendly for his fantasy value in IDP formats.

Sam Howell

QB

The 2022 fifth-round pick showed some potential as a starter for the Commanders back in 2023, completing 63 percent of his passes for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions while adding 263 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. However, Howell served as a backup for the Seahawks and Eagles over the last two seasons, never touching the field on offense in 2025. Howell is poised to compete with Joe Milton for the No. 2 job behind Dak Prescott.

Kenny Clark

DT

The restructure turns Clark's $11 million roster bonus due next week into a signing bonus. The move will create about $8.8 million in space for the Cowboys to use during the 2026 season. The transaction likely indicates Dallas, which has already been active during the legal tampering period, is planning to continue making waves in free agency.

Jalen Thompson

S

Thompson suited up for 15 regular-season appearances with Arizona in 2025, recording 95 tackles (58 solo), including 1.0 sacks, plus six passes defensed and one forced fumble. He's totaled 90-plus tackles in back-to-back seasons and surpassed the 100-tackle mark in both 2021 and 2022. Now with the Cowboys, Thompson enters the offseason as a candidate to compete with Donovan Wilson for the starting strong safety job.

Brandon Aubrey

PK

The tender gives the Cowboys the opportunity to match an offer sheet that another team gives to Aubrey, otherwise Dallas would net a second-round pick. He has been one of the best kickers in the NFL for the past couple of seasons, and Todd Archer of ESPN reported in February that Aubrey is seeking a contract that exceeds the league-high $6.4 million average that Harrison Butker receives. Aubrey went 36-for-42 on field-goal attempts across 17 regular-season games in 2025, including 11-for-17 from 50-plus yards.

CeeDee Lamb

WR

Lamb, quarterback Dak Prescott and offensive guard Tyler Smith (knee) all agreed to contract restructures Wednesday, helping Dallas' salary cap situation in advance of the start of the legal tampering period March 9. The soon-to-be 27-year-old wideout's restructure presumably involves converting future guarantees into a signing bonus, meaning he remains under contract through 2028. The 75-1,077-3 receiving line Lamb posted across 14 regular-season appearances in 2025 was the lowest since his rookie year back in 2020, and it coincided with George Pickens breaking out to the tune of 93-1,423-9. With Pickens having been re-signed via the franchise tag, he and Lamb will remain arguably the league's top wide receiver duo during the 2026 campaign.

Dak Prescott

QB

Prescott and offensive lineman Tyler Smith's (knee) combined restructures free up $47 million in cap space for 2026, and Dallas is also expected to restructure CeeDee Lamb's deal. These restructures presumably involve converting future guarantees into signing bonuses. Prescott is entering his age-33 season fresh off a 2025 campaign in which he completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,552 yards and a 30:10 TD:INT, in addition to rushing 532 times for 177 yards and two scores. With the Cowboys having retained George Pickens for 2026 via the franchise tag and re-signed running back Javonte Williams (shoulder) to a three-year, $24 million deal, Prescott will benefit from significant continuity on offense in 2026.

Donovan Ezeiruaku

DE

Ezeiruaku suited up for all 17 regular-season games in his rookie year, totaling 40 tackles (20 solo), including 2.0 sacks, plus one forced fumble. He wasn't listed on any of Dallas' final injury reports, but it appears he managed that production while combating a hip issue. As long as he's ready for the start of training camp, Ezeiruaku's recovery shouldn't impede his ability to take a step forward in his development for Year 2.

Tyler Smith

G

With Smith now over two weeks removed from the procedure, the report indicates that the Cowboys' left guard is expected to be 100 percent before the start of the team's offseason program in April. The 2022 first-rounder appeared in 16 regular-season games in 2025 en route to earning his third straight Pro Bowl nod.

Javonte Williams

RB

The new deal includes $16 million in guaranteed money and ensures that Williams doesn't enter the new league year as an unrestricted free agent. The North Carolina product inked a one-year deal with the Cowboys in March of 2025 after spending the first four years of his NFL career with the Broncos, and he enjoyed a breakout season in his first year with Dallas, when he turned 252 carries into 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 35 passes (on 51 targets) for 137 yards and two scores over 16 regular-season games. The deal solidifies Williams as the Cowboys' RB1 while Malik Davis (eye) and 2025 fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue both operate in rotational roles.

Trevor Keegan

G

questionable

Tyler Guyton

OT

questionable

Malik Davis

RB

questionable

Ajani Cornelius

OT

questionable

DaRon Bland

CB

questionable

James Houston

DE

Houston impressed as a rookie with 8.0 sacks over seven regular-season games with Detroit, but over the following two campaigns he had just 1.0 sacks across 13 contests. The Jackson State product put his name back on the map last season, as his 5.5 sacks were second-most on the Cowboys. He signed a two-year contract last July and should continue to have a role in Dallas' pass-rushing corps next season.