The Dallas Cowboys are in a weird spot. Honestly, after finishing the 2025 season with a 7-9-1 record and missing the playoffs for the second year in a row, the vibe around Frisco is less "America’s Team" and more "America’s Project." But if you look at the Dallas Cowboys football roster right now, it isn't just about who stayed; it’s about the massive, franchise-altering shifts that happened when nobody was looking.
Jerry Jones is 83. He doesn't have time for a five-year plan. Yet, here we are, staring at a roster that looks fundamentally different than it did even eighteen months ago. The biggest elephant in the room? The Micah Parsons trade. Sending a generational pass rusher to the Green Bay Packers mid-2025 felt like a glitch in the Matrix, but it’s the reason this roster has the flexibility—and the draft capital—it does entering the 2026 offseason.
The State of the Dallas Cowboys Football Roster: Who’s Actually Driving the Bus?
When you talk about the Dallas Cowboys football roster, everything starts and ends with Dak Prescott. Love him or hate him, the guy is a machine. He played all 17 games in 2025, throwing for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns. He’s 32 now. He’s the veteran anchor, but the cast around him has been swapped out like parts in a high-stakes garage.
Take the running back situation. For years, Dallas cycled through names, trying to find that "bellcow" energy. In 2025, Javonte Williams finally provided it. He put up career highs—1,201 rushing yards and 11 scores—basically proving that the committee approach of 2024 was a mistake. But Williams is an impending free agent. So is George Pickens, who the Cowboys nabbed to be the "1B" to CeeDee Lamb’s "1A."
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The Offensive Core (As of January 2026)
- QB: Dak Prescott (The $60M man), Joe Milton III (The high-ceiling backup)
- RB: Javonte Williams (Pending FA), Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah
- WR: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens (Pending FA), Ryan Flournoy (The "Breakout" kid)
- TE: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker
Ryan Flournoy is the name you’ve gotta watch. Most people sort of ignored him until October 2025 when CeeDee Lamb went down with an injury. Flournoy stepped in against the Jets and went for 114 yards on six catches. He’s effectively pushed Jalen Tolbert down the depth chart and solidified himself as the WR3. That’s huge because if the Cowboys can’t reach a deal with Pickens, Flournoy becomes the most important target not named CeeDee.
The Defensive Identity Crisis
If the offense is a well-oiled machine that just needs a few parts replaced, the defense is a construction site. Matt Eberflus is out as defensive coordinator after just one season. The 2025 defense was, frankly, a mess. They allowed 450 passing yards to a 37-year-old Russell Wilson and couldn't find a consistent pass rush after the Parsons trade.
The Dallas Cowboys football roster on the defensive side is currently headlined by "The Williams Duo"—Quinnen Williams (acquired from the Jets) and Kenneth Murray Jr. Quinnen has been a beast, but he’s basically been double-teamed on every snap because the edge rushers haven't been scary enough.
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Who stays and who goes?
Jadeveon Clowney led the team with 8.5 sacks in 2025, but he’s 32. He wants to return, and the Cowboys probably need him to, but they’re also looking at the 2026 NFL Draft with two first-round picks (12th and 20th overall). Word on the street is they’re eyeing Mansoor Delane, the LSU cornerback, or CJ Allen from Georgia. They need speed. They need youth. They need guys who don't let J.J. McCarthy throw for career highs against them.
The Salary Cap Tightrope
Let’s talk money. It’s boring until it’s the reason your favorite player gets cut. The Cowboys are currently sitting on about $330 million in contract totals, which puts them roughly $30 million over the projected cap.
Jerry Jones says he’s "not worried," but that’s Jerry. To get under the cap, they’ll have to restructure basically everyone: Dak, CeeDee, Tyler Smith, and DaRon Bland. The problem with restructuring Dak again is that it pushes his cap hits in 2027 and 2028 toward the $80 million range. That’s a "tomorrow’s problem" that is very quickly becoming a "today problem."
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Priority Free Agents to Watch
- George Pickens (WR): The franchise tag is likely here. It’ll cost about $28 million.
- Javonte Williams (RB): He was the engine of the offense last year. Letting him walk would be a massive step back.
- Brandon Aubrey (K): Honestly, he’s the most consistent player on the team. He had 155 points last year. The Cowboys are already "dipping their toes" into extension talks, but a second-round RFA tender is the safety net.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Roster
A lot of fans think the Cowboys are "rebuilding" because they traded Micah Parsons. That’s not quite right. It was a pivot. By moving Parsons, they cleared space to pay CeeDee Lamb and Dak, while also landing Quinnen Williams.
The 2026 Dallas Cowboys football roster is actually more balanced than the 2023 or 2024 versions. The offensive line, led by Tyler Smith and Cooper Beebe, is younger and nastier. The receiving corps, assuming Pickens stays, is arguably the best in the NFC. The issue isn't talent; it’s the defensive scheme and the looming "dead money" from all those restructures.
What Really Happened With the Coaching Staff?
Brian Schottenheimer is still the head coach, but the search for a new Defensive Coordinator is the story of the month. Jim Leonhard (currently with the Broncos) is the name everyone wants. The Cowboys even did a virtual interview with him. But because Denver is in the playoffs, Dallas has to wait. It’s a frustrating delay that’s holding up the rest of the defensive staff hires.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
If you’re tracking this roster, here is what you should be looking for in the coming weeks:
- The Restructure Wave: Watch for the official announcements on Dak and CeeDee's contracts. If they don't do full restructures, it means they are trying to preserve cap space for 2027, which hints at a more conservative free agency.
- The DC Hire: If they land Jim Leonhard, expect the defense to shift toward more "disguise" packages and less of the "straight-up" man coverage that got burned in 2025.
- Draft Day Strategy: With picks 12 and 20, the Cowboys have the ammunition to trade up for a top-tier edge rusher or sit pat and take the best defensive player available. If they take an offensive player at 12, the fan base might actually riot.
- The RB1 Status: If Javonte Williams isn't signed or tagged by March, the Cowboys are likely going back to the draft (watch for names like Jaydon Blue to get more run) or looking for a cheaper veteran.
The Dallas Cowboys football roster is a puzzle that’s missing about three critical pieces on defense and one massive signature on a wide receiver’s contract. The window isn't closed, but it's definitely getting heavy. For a team that went 7-9-1, they have an oddly high ceiling in 2026—if they don't trip over their own bank account first.