The Cowboys are going to have to make some hard decisions about their roster.
The NFL salary cap is going to increase for the 2026 season.
“On Friday, the league informed clubs it is projecting a salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million for the upcoming 2026 season, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported, per a source.”
“Such a number would represent an increase of more than $20 million from the 2025 mark of $279.2 million and reach nearly $100 million in additional space since the $208.2 million cap set for the 2022 season.”
A spike as big as this provides more money to go around for the Dallas Cowboys. However, per overthecap.com, the Cowboys are currently $31.4M over the salary cap. They have many important free agents that are up for new contracts. Brandon Aubrey, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams are expected to get sizable new contracts after terrific seasons in Dallas.
The Cowboys will have to make some financial decisions if they expect to keep Aubrey, Pickens, and Williams in town. One path they could go, and one they will surely take to some extent, is to restructure some contracts. That will open plenty of room under the salary cap. Another path is to cut some veterans who would save them money against the cap. Here are three veterans they could cut to make cap space.
Kenny Clark
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. When the Cowboys acquired Kenny Clark from the Green Bay Packers in the Micah Parsons trade, we thought for a moment Dallas hit the lottery. The Cowboys acquired two first-round picks and a former Pro Bowl-level player with a decorated pedigree. Clark, alongside Osa Odighizuwa, should have formed a great duo capable of stopping the run and giving interior pressure on passing downs. However, everything changed when Dallas upped the stakes and traded for Quinnen Williams, prying him away from the New York Jets.
Williams is a star talent with multiple years left on his contract and has perennial All-Pro potential. Odighizuwa carries a dead cap hit charge of $32M in 2026 and $12M in 2027, cementing his place with the team. Also, Clark has dropped off some over the last two years, with four sacks and 26 quarterback pressures in that span.
While Dallas would hate to release an integral part of their return from the Parsons trade and a solid veteran for nothing, his cost makes it too much to not at least consider it. Clark would not carry a dead salary cost against the cap if the Cowboys let him go, and $21M in savings, making him a possibility if they decide to shed some contracts.
Malik Hooker
The Cowboys moving on from Malik Hooker theoretically could have been expedited the moment Dallas named Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator. Parker is a maven when it comes to cultivating young secondary talent, and the Cowboys have to shake up the position. Juanyeh Thomas could take leaps under Parker’s tutelage and compete for a more prominent role in 2026, giving the Cowboys another reason to sever ties with Hooker.
Hooker is turning 30 years old in April, and Donovan Wilson, who will be a free agent, is turning 31 next month. Neither has proven to be indispensable over the previous two seasons. The Cowboys are also being linked to safety prospects in the draft, with top prospect Caleb Downs being an early favorite of the fanbase. With his release, the Cowboys could save $6M and grant them a fresh start at the position.
Terence Steele
The Cowboys take a lot of pride in having a formidable offensive line and have invested heavily in protecting franchise quarterback Dak Prescott. Four of the starting offensive linemen have been drafted in the top three rounds, with three having been selected in the first round. The only outlier is Terence Steele, whom the Cowboys developed as an undrafted player out of Texas Tech and eventually gave him the starting right tackle spot. Though it raised some concerns, the Cowboys signed Steele to a five-year, $86.8M contract in 2023.
Since signing the contract, Steele’s play has been uneven. When he’s right, he’s a very good run blocker that moves defenders out of the way. However, pass protection has drawn the ire of many fans, with Steele giving pass rushers clear paths to Prescott within a couple of seconds after the snap more often than you’d like to see from a highly-paid player.
In 2026, Steele graded out with a 54.9 grade in pass blocking per PFF, which was 75th out of 89 eligible players. Cutting Steele would leave the Cowboys running for alternatives, but free agency and the draft could help fill the hole. The Cowboys could save $9M by cutting Steele, and if they were to cut the others on this list, possibly save a total of $36M.
Category: General Sports
