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3 contracts that need to be talked about outside of Dallas’ Big 3
As the Dallas Cowboys sprint full-speed ahead into the thicket of the summer offseason program, they have several orders of business to address. Three of their most prominent players are up for big contracts, and the ensuing negotiations are sure to be highly publicized and capture national headlines. Quarterback Dak Prescott is entering his ninth season as the team’s starting quarterback and looking for his second major contract with Dallas. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb is playing on his fifth-year option and has earned what he has coming to him after setting franchise records in yards and receptions in 2023. Micah Parsons is away from the team during this round of OTAs, but the premier defender is sure to command top dollar. While those contracts are significant and are at the forefront for Jerry Jones, a few other contracts are expiring this season that bear monitoring, and one that the Cowboys should address now before it’s too late. Here are three contracts to consider aside from Lamb, Prescott, and Parsons.
KaVontae Turpin
Turpin could earn himself a substantial pay raise after the 2024 season. You expect the Cowboys will work out a new contract with CeeDee Lamb sooner than later, and he’ll remain atop the team’s depth chart at wide receiver for years to come. Yet, when you look at the depth behind him, there is a path for Turpin to occupy a more prominent role in the offense and, thus, a larger payday. Brandin Cooks will be an unrestricted free agent after this year, and Jalen Tolbert is coming into his third season but still hasn’t secured anything yet. Turpin is surprisingly good at making contested catches for someone of his stature, in addition to his explosive speed in the open field.
If Turpin can work himself into the team’s third receiver at some point this season, it’ll bode well for his contract talks. Furthermore, Turpin can also work in some capacity out of the backfield in specific packages and elevate him into more of an offensive weapon than merely a receiver and return specialist. Since Turpin was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, his path to a more substantial contract is more layered than most. Turpin will be a restricted free agent after this season.
Osa Odighizuwa
This is a situation where the Cowboys can get a head start and avoid being hit by the money train if they wait much longer to sign Odighizuwa. The fourth-year defender hasn’t made a Pro Bowl just yet but has already demonstrated his quickness as an under-tackle to penetrate the defensive backfield. He has been touted as the next breakout star of the Cowboys’ defense. He’s only 25 years old and has exceptional traits. The Cowboys can avoid having to learn the hard way.
Take the Baltimore Ravens for example. Justin Madubuike always had the talent to be a disruptive interior rush but had yet to put it all together. That is, until he did last year in the final year of his contract, erupting for 13 sacks. Baltimore had to break the bank and pay Madubuike his due, a whopping $98M over four seasons. However, Dallas can avoid letting Odighizuwa price himself out of their market by opening negotiations now rather than waiting. You’d have to go back in Cowboys history, but Dallas had done this before with a defensive tackle when they signed Jay Ratliff early before his costs became too high. Ratliff was pretty good under his first extension with the Cowboys, and Dallas should take this opportunity to spin some straw into a potential goldmine.
DeMarcus Lawrence
DeMarcus Lawrence is entering his eleventh season in the NFL, all with the Dallas Cowboys. For years, Lawrence has been underappreciated for his contributions as a disruptive player, rushing the passer and stopping the run. Since teaming with Parsons, Lawrence has provided more flexibility, sometimes playing the 3-tech defensive tackle on passing downs. He and the team agreed to a reworked three-year, $40M contract in 2022.
In the final year of his deal, it’s possible it’s the end of an era for Lawrence and the team. 2014 was Lawrence’s rookie season, which coincided with Tony Romo’s final playoff, and the Prescott era was ushered in shortly after that with Lawrence as one of the team’s leaders. With a looming contract for Parsons, the awaited emergence of Sam Williams in his third season, and the Cowboys drafting Marshawn Kneeland in the second round of this year’s draft, 2024 could be his last ride with the Cowboys unless a new team-friendly contract is reached.
The Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. Even with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, they were unable to make up for their porous defense, finishing the season 7-9-1.
This offseason, Dallas was on a mission to fix that defense. Jerry Jones vowed he would put in the work and while they might not have an elite unit, they definitely look improved on paper.
With the biggest moves this offseason done, let’s rank the position groups for the Cowboys, which begins with the most obvious strength.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best duo in the game, which makes this the Cowboys’ strongest position on its own. Throw in Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season in 2025, and it looks even better.
Dallas has depth beyond this as well, with KaVontae Turpin, who had 396 yards receiving last year, as their WR4. Even rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith has some upside.
Safety
Rookie Caleb Downs immediately makes this group better, but he’s not the only addition. The Cowboys also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. For good measure, they also have Malik Hooker as they turned a perennial weakness into a strength this offseason.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott carries this group, especially after another spectacular season. Behind Prescott, however, the Cowboys are still strong with Joe Milton III and Sam Howell. Either player could wind up as the QB2 and could keep the offense going in the short-term.
Defensive Line
Defensive tackle has been a weakness for years, but Jones decided that had to change. Entering 2026, Dallas has Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otitto Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, and rookie LT Overton, which is a solid group.
Offensive Line
The interior of the Dallas offensive line could make this one of the best groups overall with Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Guyton all standing out at their respective positions.
The problem is that offensive tackle has some concerns. Tyler Guyton hasn’t lived up to his draft status and Terence Steele hasn’t played up to his contract. Drew Shelton could eventually take over for one, but the rookie needs time to develop.
EDGE
There’s not an All-Pro on the edge like there was when Micah Parsons was in Dallas, but the group is much deeper this season. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and James Houston can all have big roles this season. They’re even going to try Marist Liufau on the edge, but the depth might be an issue for him.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson had eight touchdowns in 2025, which was huge. The problem is that he struggled with ball security, hardly had any yards after the catch, and finished with an average of just 7.3 yards per reception.
Luke Schoonmaker has been the TE2, but he could be pushed by Brevyn Spann-Ford. Undrafted free agent Michael Trigg is a player to watch, but he’s unlikely to produce much as a rookie.
Cornerback
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a fan of Shavon Revel, and if he can turn him into a starter, that would be huge for this position.
Right now, there are far too many questions, with the durability of DaRon Bland being chief among them.
Entering OTAs, there’s a chance free agent pickup Cobie Durant could be their best option at cornerback. He’s a solid addition, but they need someone else to step up as well.
Linebacker
We recently noted that linebacker remains the greatest need on this team. They did a great job by trading for Dee Winters and rookie Jaishawn Barham could wind up being a great fit.
That said, they need DeMarvion Overshown to stay healthy for this group to succeed. If he misses time, their lack of depth will hurt them.
Running Back
Linebacker might be the primary need, but running back comes in last here due to the concerns behind Javonte Williams.
There’s no denying that Williams is a stud. He broke out in 2025 with 1,201 yards but the depth is questionable. If second-year back Jaydon Blue improves, this position group would climb the ranks in a hurry. For now, however, there are too many question marks.
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Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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