Dallas, TX

Lainey Wilson Suiting Up for Dallas Cowboys Halftime Show on Thanksgiving

Published

1 year ago

October 14, 2024

Lainey Wilson Suiting Up for Dallas Cowboys Halftime Show on Thanksgiving

Lainey Wilson will perform at the halftime show of the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game against the New York Giants on Nov. 28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The game, which will air on Fox, will also serve as the official kick-off of the Salvation Army’s 134th Red Kettle Campaign. A Cowboy tradition for 28 years, the halftime show highlights the start of the Red Kettle holiday season, and since the launch of the Red Kettle Kickoff, the Salvation Army has raised more than $3 billion.

Lainey Wilson

NFL

Wilson, who will be joined by an unnamed special guest, is expected to perform songs from her new album Whirlwind, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 in August, as well as some seasonal favorites.

“It’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of legendary performers like my friend Dolly Parton, The Jonas Brothers, and Reba, of course, to kick off The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettle Campaign,” Wilson said in a statement. “Join me at the Red Kettle this Christmas season because we truly can do more good when we come together to serve those in need in our communities.”

In a video posted to her and the Cowboys’ social media sites, Wilson pretended to train to be an honorary Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Wearing Dallas Cowboys blue bellbottoms, she practiced a routine with the cheerleaders, breathlessly asking if she was the first person to attempt that in bell bottoms.

“Performers like Lainey Wilson represent the next generation of role models for so many,” added Charlotte Jones, chief brand officer and co-owner of the Dallas Cowboys and former national advisory board chairperson for The Salvation Army. “We are so thankful to have her energy and enthusiasm on our national stage this year to highlight the Red Kettle Kickoff and the importance of giving back to those who need it most.”

Parton played the Thanksgiving halftime show last year. That game, which featured the Cowboys playing the Washington Commanders, drew 42 million viewers.

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Jadeveon Clowney’s veteran presence, effort turns heads as Cowboys look to 2026 roster

Published

7 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Jadeveon Clowney’s veteran presence, effort turns heads as Cowboys look to 2026 roster

LANDOVER, Md. — Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has made it known that he’ll voice his opinion when it comes to the team’s roster construction next season. He already has some thoughts.

“Find a way to keep a guy like [wide receiver] George [Pickens],” Prescott said after Thursday’s 30-23 road win over the Washington Commanders. “Find a way to keep a guy like [running back] Javonte [Williams].”

Those checklist items have been on the offseason agenda for the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones for quite some time. The value of Pickens and Williams has been discussed a lot over the course of this season. Their place on next year’s roster may not be set — and as we saw this past season, no one’s officially in the Cowboys’ future until a contract says so — but it’s now an expectation.

A new name might’ve joined that tier on Christmas Day.

Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, in the words of head coach Brian Schottenheimer, was dominant in the win over the Commanders. Clowney finished with 1.5 sacks, marking the second time he’s had more than one sack in the last four games. Clowney now is tied with James Houston for the team-lead in sacks this season with 5.5.

“You look up and you saw 42 harassing the quarterback,” Schottenheimer said of Clowney. “You see 42 chasing down [plays].

“I just love the way the guy plays.”

It might be because Clowney, at 32 and in his 12th NFL season, is loving playing — even when there could be a reason not to.

Thursday’s game between the Cowboys and Commanders looked a lot better before the season. The Commanders were in the NFC Championship last season. The Cowboys had aspirations of a turnaround in Schottenheimer’s first season. Both teams were eliminated from playoff contention well before they kicked off at Northwest Stadium.

After Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Clowney was asked how he stays motivated with no path to the postseason. The question baffled Clowney.

“What you mean motivated? They’re paying me,” said Clowney, who signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal in September. “That’s enough motivation for me. I like money.”

On Thursday, he put his money where his mouth was. Twelve years ago, when Clowney became the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, he was known for his immense physical talent. Today, his best attribute has been his effort. There’s an evident never-quit mentality to his playing style. That’s what helped him finish with 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.

Clowney’s motor this season isn’t only financially driven, however.

Schottenheimer referenced something he heard Clowney tell the younger players earlier this week as they prepared to play without any playoff hope. Clowney’s message, according to Schottenheimer, was about perspective: being appreciative of how blessed they are to play in the NFL, even if it’s a game that can’t get them toward the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. Clowney told them to never take it for granted.

That stuck out to Schottenheimer, who’s known Clowney since their time together with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019.

“When he was a younger player — he can speak to this — not that he took it for granted, but he appreciates [the game] so much more now,” Schottenheimer said.

Clowney spoke to that appreciation, too.

“A lot,” Clowney said when he was asked how much fun he’s having this season. “It’s football, man. Not everybody can do it. It’s a blessing for me to still be playing 12 years. I thank God every day for that. I have a lot of fun doing it. If I could have fun doing something else I probably would, but I have so much fun doing this I look forward to Sundays, and big games, and the spotlight, and the cameras and all that … I think it brings the best out of me.”

That’s as evident as it is contagious. Prescott said he could feel Clowney’s love for the game. Prescott said he’s seen it since the Cowboys signed Clowney on Sept. 14. He believes they’re better off with Clowney on their team moving forward.

“We’re fortunate to have him,” Prescott said. “He’s one of those guys that we’ve got to figure out a way to keep.”

Good news for the Cowboys: Clowney said he’d be interested in returning to play for Dallas if they were willing to bring him back.

“I’ve got a lot left in the tank,” Clowney said. “I’m not going to go sit on my couch. I’m going to stay ready.”

Clowney even said that he’s hoping to go to training camp, which is something he didn’t do this past year. There was excitement in his voice as he talked about shaking off rust before the season, rather than ramping up like he did this year. As the season has gone on, he’s shown why he might be deserving of that chance.

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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2 impact players who could be entering their final 2 games as a Dallas Cowboy

Published

20 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

2 impact players who could be entering their final 2 games as a Dallas Cowboy

The 2025 season has been filled with plenty of ups and downs for the Dallas Cowboys. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a year, but Dallas will ultimately miss the playoffs for the second-straight season.

While the two games left in the regular season don’t mean anything in terms of standings, there are plenty of players on Dallas’ current roster who could be playing their final two games as a Cowboy. With that thought in mind, today we take a look at two impact players who could be suiting up as Cowboys for the final two times in the coming weeks.

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There is no denying that Cowboys’ running back Javonte Williams has had an outstanding 2025 campaign. After a breakout rookie year in 2021, Williams suffered major injuries, including a torn ACL in 2022, and many believed he would never reach his top form again.

Dallas took a chance on the 25-year-old running back, signing him to a one-year deal in hopes that he still had some juice left in the tank. The move turned out to be one of Dallas’ best of the offseason, as Williams has put together a career year in his fifth season in the league.

On the year, Williams is fourth in the NFL in first downs rushing, sixth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,147), tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns (10) to go with a career-high 56.1% Rushing Success Rate. Williams has slowed down considerably in the second half of the season, averaging just 4.2 Y/A over his last four games. Still, those shortcomings are more a product of the recent struggles of Dallas’s offensive line, which has been a very inconsistent unit over the past four to five weeks.

Williams has been a diamond in the rough find for Dallas’ front office, but his outstanding 2025 campaign could price him out of a return to the Cowboys. While the 2026 free agent running back market does include some capable players (Travis Etienne, Kenneth Walker), Williams will still be a hot commodity for running back-needy teams.

At just 25-years-old, at least one team will likely be willing to offer Williams a multi-year contract. Spotrac projects the running back to earn a three-year, $22M deal on the open market. While $7M a year isn’t a huge number, with all of Dallas’ needs to address elsewhere on the roster, it seems unlikely they would seriously consider bringing Williams back to Dallas at that number.

If Williams has found a home in Dallas and is willing to take a more modest number to remain here, he may stay. If he’s looking to cash in on his career-changing year, which he almost certainly will be, there’s a very good chance he’s about to play his final two games as a Cowboy.

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When the Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Kenny Clark back at the beginning of September, the 30-year-old veteran had big shoes to fill. While no one expected Clark to replicate Micah Parsons’ production on Dallas’ defense, Clark filled a big need the Cowboys had at defensive tackle and figured to be a guy who could make a significant impact right away.

With how bad the Cowboys’ defense has been as a whole, Clark’s season has gone a bit unnoticed, but the 10-year veteran has had a very productive year. When Dallas acquired Clark, they knew he would be solid against the run, but questions remained about whether he had anything left in the tank as a pass rusher. Surprisingly, Clark has turned back the clock a bit this year and has been a more than adequate pass-rushing defensive tackle.

In 15 games, Clark has recorded 43 total pressures, 33 QB Hurries, and four sacks, via Pro Football Focus. With two more games to add to these totals, Clark will likely finish with the second-most pressures, hurries, and sacks in his last four seasons. While the totals aren’t close to his star-studded 2023 campaign, they are still impressive for a veteran interior defensive linemen.

Clark has had a more than acceptable first season in Dallas, but his long-term future as a Cowboy is anything but certain. With the Cowboys acquiring star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, there’s a chance Dallas will not be able to afford to keep Clark, Williams, and 27-year-old Osa Odighizuwa all on their roster in 2026.

Of those three, Clark is the most obvious choice if Dallas is going to cut ties with one of the defensive tackles. The way Clark’s contract is structured, the Cowboys can get out of the deal this offseason with no penalty. If Dallas were to cut Clark (pre or post June 1), they would incur no dead money and save $21M against the cap this year and $20M in 2027.

As mentioned above, the Cowboys have so many other needs to address on their roster this offseason, keeping Clark at a $21.5M cap number just does not feel like a realistic option. Dallas could restructure the veteran’s contract to lower his 2026 cap number and keep him as a Cowboy for the remainder of his deal, but the more likely scenario seems to be Dallas releasing him at some point next summer.

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The top Dallas-Fort Worth business stories of 2025 hint at what’s coming for 2026

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

The top Dallas-Fort Worth business stories of 2025 hint at what’s coming for 2026

The Dallas-Fort Worth economy is ending 2025 in a much different manner than it began.

In a year that started with all eyes on Washington, D.C. and an incoming (and repeat) Trump Administration, North Texas carved its own path, reshaping the business landscape for years to come. Here are a few of the biggest stories of 2025:

January’s Department store disruption

Once a bellwether of the retail world, Plano-based JCPenney in January said that it was merging with Sparc Group to form Catalyst Brands, bringing in names such as Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica.

February and March bring downtown disruption

Longtime Dallas-based luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus, which was acquired in 2024 by Saks Global, announced and then unannounced that it would close its iconic downtown department store. The move was a blow to downtown leaders and city officials in an era when the central business district is being displaced as the region’s business and cultural epicenter.

Texas is data center central

Texas became the hotbed for the data center boom this year, with dozens of companies announcing plans for these energy-sucking, AI-enabling facilities. Gasoline was thrown on an already sizzling market when OpenAi announced its Stargate initiative in February. This adds to major North Texas data center projects from players such as Meta, Google and Nvidia partners Aligned and Wistron.

DFW (Airport) keeps growing

After more than six years of discussions — delayed by new economic realities after the COVID-19 pandemic — DFW International Airport and American Airlines finalized a deal for a super-sized $4 billion Terminal F, the first new terminal since 2005. The upsized plans will include 31 new gates, exclusively occupied by Fort Worth-based American. The first phase should open in 2027.

‘How’s that working for ya,’ Dr. Phil?

Celebrity TV problem solver Phil McGraw saw his North Texas-based startup Merit Street Media crumble in 2025 and file for bankruptcy, starting a contentious, fireworks-filled and often baffling court battle with partners such as Professional Bull Riders and Trinity Broadcasting Network. It was more entertaining than the famous Dr. Phil “Cash Me Outside” episode.

D-FW bank bought for $10.9B

Dallas-based banking giant Comerica was purchased by Ohio’s Fifth Third Bancorp in a $10.9 billion deal. Fifth Third was essentially buying its way into the Texas market, alongside branches in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas.

Too many stories to count

These are just a few of the major storylines. There is also the drama about a Dallas ranch real estate agent killed by a buffalo during a hunt in South Africa, numerous real estate deals and residential expansions, arena searches by Dallas’ NBA and NHL teams that turned into a soap opera. A Muslim-centric development near Josephine gained national notoriety from politicians railing against the project.

National economic storylines such as international import tariffs and more aggressive national immigration enforcement efforts all reshaped the North Texas economy, too.

One thing was consistent. The Dallas-Fort Worth economy kept chugging along, adding some 42,600 jobs between the beginning of the year and the end of the third quarter. The more things change, the more they stay the same.