Cowboys' Dante Fowler: Posts drop-off in sacks in 2025
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Fowler registered 15 tackles, including 3.0 sacks, along with three defensed passes over 17 games during the 2025 season.
After notching 10.5 sacks with Washington in 2024, Dallas signed Fowler in the hope that he could bolster the team's pass rush. However, the Florida product managed just 3.0 sacks despite playing in all 17 games for the fourth straight campaign. Fowler is slated to be a free agent, as he was playing last season on a one-year contract.
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Cowboys' Solomon Thomas: Can't get to QB in 2025
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Thomas played in 16 games during the regular season, tallying 27 tackles and one defensed pass.
Thomas notched 8.5 sacks over his final two seasons with the Jets, but he was unable to post any sacks in his first season with Dallas despite logging 414 defensive snaps. He signed a two-year contract last March, so Thomas is tentatively slated to return to the Cowboys next season.
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Cowboys' James Houston: Re-emerges with 5.5 sacks
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Houston finished the 2025 regular season with 35 tackles, including 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble over 17 games.
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.
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Cowboys' Kenny Clark: Logs 3.0 sacks in 2025-26
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Clark played in all 17 of Dallas' contests in 2025, finishing with 36 tackles (including 3.0 sacks).
Following nine seasons in Green Bay, Clark joined the Cowboys as part of the Micah Parsons (knee) trade. Clark proved to be durable, as he played in every regular-season game for the fourth straight year, and he was a steady (though unspectacular) performer for Dallas' defensive line. Clark has two years remaining on his contract, but there has been some speculation that he'll be cut this offseason given his age and salary.
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Cowboys' Sam Williams: Has quiet 2025 season
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Williams played in 17 games during the 2025 regular season, totaling 37 tackles (including 1.0 sacks), two defensed passes, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Williams took on a larger role after missing all of 2024 while recovering from a torn ACL. He logged the first five starts of his career and totaled a career-high 469 defensive snaps, but while he also recorded a career-best 37 stops, he registered only 1.0 sacks after totaling 9.5 sacks across his first two seasons. Williams is slated to be an unrestricted free agent, and there's no guarantee the Cowboys will attempt to bring him back.
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Cowboys' Donovan Ezeiruaku: Has big role in rookie season
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Ezeiruaku totaled 40 tackles, including 2.0 sacks, and forced a fumble over 17 games during the 2025 regular season.
Ezeiruaku was a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and filled a key role for Dallas' defense in his first pro campaign. The Boston College product logged a defensive snap count over 50 percent in 12 of the Cowboys' final 13 games, with the exception being Week 18 against the Giants. Ezeiruaku figures to take on a similarly significant role next season and will look to grow as a pass rusher after notching a modest 2.0 sacks as a rookie.
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Cowboys' Osa Odighizuwa: Plays in every game again in 2025
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Odighizuwa tallied 44 tackles, including 3.5 sacks, over 17 contests during the 2025 regular season.
Odighizuwa continues to be a durable force for Dallas -- he's played in all 17 regular-season contests every year since 2022. The veteran defensive tackle has also been very consistent stats-wise, producing between 43 and 47 stops, including between 3.0 and 4.5 sacks, every season during that four-year span. Odighizuwa signed a four-year contract last March and should continue to be a key part of Dallas' defensive line next season.
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Cowboys' Reddy Steward: Gains significant role in Year 2
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Steward finished the 2025 regular season with 63 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, three defensed passes and a forced fumble over 17 contests.
Steward played exclusively on special teams in Week 1 and Week 7, but he was otherwise pretty heavily involved on defense and logged a defensive snap count north of 50 percent in six of the Cowboys' final seven games. The undrafted Troy product played in just one contest with Chicago during his rookie 2024 campaign, but he appears to have carved out a role moving forward with Dallas, especially given that Trevon Diggs was let go in late December. Steward is slated to be an exclusive rights free agent, so the Cowboys are in control of whether he'll be back next season.
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Cowboys' Logan Wilson: Ends season as a Cowboy
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Wilson had 70 tackles (34 solo) and five passes defensed in 14 regular-season games between the Bengals and the Cowboys in 2025.
Wilson was traded to the Cowboys at the trade deadline and played seven of nine potential games for the team, where he totaled 24 tackles (15 solo). The middle linebacker is under contract for one more year, and with the rest of the Cowboys' linebacker corps healthy going into 2026, Wilson may lose more snaps to Shemar James.
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Cowboys' Jadeveon Clowney: Finishes season in strong form
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Clowney recorded 41 tackles (24 solo), including 8.5 sacks, and added four passes defended, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries over 13 regular-season games for the Cowboys in 2025.
The veteran edge rusher didn't sign with Dallas until September and didn't debut with the team until Week 4, but Clowney was fully up to speed in the second half of the season and racked up 6.5 of his sacks in his final five games. An unrestricted free agent once again this offseason, a return to the Cowboys in 2026 seems unlikely for the 32-year-old mercenary given his track record -- Clowney's played for six different teams over the last seven seasons -- but he's still capable of making an impact in the pass rush wherever he lands. Over the last three years, split between Dallas, Carolina and Baltimore, Clowney's delivered 23.5 sacks in 44 regular-season games.
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Cowboys' Donovan Wilson: Productive in tough season
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Wilson recorded 71 tackles (39 solo) and a forced fumble while adding five passes defended, including two interceptions, over 15 regular-season games for the Cowboys in 2025.
Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league, but Wilson was still able to produce decent numbers, with his pass defended and INT totals tying his career highs. The veteran safety did miss two games in the middle of the season with an elbow injury and dealt with other nagging issues throughout the year, and at 30 years old there may not be a huge market for his services in free agency. The Cowboys brought in a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker, but Wilson might be viewed as an affordable stopgap in the secondary if the front office doesn't want to spend significant resources at the position.
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Cowboys' Malik Hooker: Lackluster season for Dallas
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Hooker recorded 52 tackles (28 solo) with one pass defended over 12 regular-season games for the Cowboys in 2025.
The veteran missed five games early in the season due to a toe injury and played through back trouble late, and his numbers suffered as a result. Hooker struggled in coverage and may not be able to hold up as a physical in-the-box safety, leaving some question of where he might fit even in a depth role. He has one year left on his current contract at $6.5 million, but the Cowboys would incur just a $2 million dead cap hit if they elect to move on from Hooker this offseason under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
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Cowboys' Kenneth Murray: Struggles in Dallas
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Murray recorded 81 tackles (38 solo), including 1.0 sacks, with two passes defended and a fumble recovery over 17 regular-season games for the Cowboys in 2025.
The veteran linebacker was brought over from Tennessee in a March trade and was expected to be the centerpiece of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' system, which has historically led to big numbers for linebackers. Instead, the 27-year-old Murray seemed lost in the scheme and failed to make much of an impact, as he didn't collect double-digit tackles in any game. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and with Dallas having moved on from Eberflus to bring Christian Parker over from Philadelphia as the new DC, Murray likely will have to find another employer.
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Cowboys' Shemar James: Impressive rookie campaign
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James recorded 91 tackles (40 solo) with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble over 14 regular-season games in 2025.
A fifth-round pick out of Florida in the 2025 Draft, James was inactive for the first three games of the season as former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus leaned heavily veteran linebacker Kenneth Murray, but once James got into the lineup he made an impact, producing double-digit tackles on three separate occasions. However, James struggled in coverage, and he lost his starting spot again briefly once DeMarvion Overshown returned from knee surgery in Week 11. James drew back in when Overshown suffered a Week 16 concussion, and the rookie wrapped up the season with 13 tackles in Week 18 against the Giants. Depending on the Cowboys' offseason moves, James could be in line to start in Week 1 next season under new DC Christian Parker, who brings a LB-friendly system with him from Philadelphia.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Expected to be ready for OTAs
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Bland (foot) is expected to recover from his left foot surgery in time to participate in the start of OTAs, though he his prioritizing a return for training camp, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Bland underwent surgery to address a left foot injury Tuesday. The issue forced him to miss Dallas' final three regular-season games. Across his 12 regular-season appearances in 2025, Bland tallied 73 tackles (45 solo) and six passes defensed, including one interception.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Set to undergo surgery
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Bland confirmed Monday that he's set to undergo surgery on a lingering foot injury Jan. 13, Calvin Watkins reports.
Bland missed the final three games of the 2025 season due to a foot injury he suffered in Week 15. Over 12 appearances, the 26-year-old had 73 tackles (45 solo) and six pass breakups, including one interception.
Bell has entered the league's concussion protocol and has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Giants, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Bell went to the locker room during the second quarter of Sunday's game and was diagnosed with a concussion after an evaluation by medical staff. With Bell done for the day and Alijah Clark (personal reasons) inactive, the Cowboys will have no safeties behind Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker the rest of the way. Cornerbacks C.J. Goodwin, Corey Ballentine and Trikweze Bridges could see some snaps at safety as a result of Bell's injury.
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Cowboys' Alijah Clark: Inactive for personal reasons
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Clark (personal) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Per the Cowboys, Clark is attending to a personal matter and will not be with the team for Sunday's regular-season finale. He'll end the 2025 regular season with 18 tackles (nine solo) and one forced fumble across 11 games while contributing mostly on special teams. Markquese Bell will be the top reserve option at safety behind Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson in Clark's absence.
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Cowboys' Josh Butler: Cleared to play Week 18
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Butler (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Butler spent nearly the entire regular season on the reserve/PUP list while recovering from a torn ACL that he sustained in December of 2024. He has progressed enough to play in Sunday's regular-season finale, and he could see some snaps in the secondary due to the absences of Shavon Revel (concussion) and DaRon Bland (foot - IR).
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Cowboys' Justin Barron: Joins active roster
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Barron was elevated from the Cowboys' practice squad to the active roster Saturday.
Barron was active for the Cowboys' Week 17 matchup versus the Commanders, accounting for 16 snaps on special teams. The 24-year-old will likely continue to play a depth role in Week 18, as DeMarvion Overshown remains out with a concussion.
