Cowboys 2026 free agent guide: What players could the team lose this offseason?

FRISCO, Texas - NFL free agency begins in earnest on Monday, March 9, when the league's legal tampering period oepns, and the Cowboys have several players who could leave the team for greener pastures this offseason.

Cowboys unrestricted free agents

Over a dozen Cowboys players are out of contract, and are free to sign with any other team in the NFL. They are as follows:

• Corey Ballentine, CB
• C.J. Goodwin, CB
• Jalen Tolbert, WR
• Miles Sanders, RB
• Jack Sanborn, LB
• Kenneth Murray, LB
• Logan Wilson, LB
• Donovan Wilson, S
• Sam Williams, DE
• Payton Turner, DE
• Jadeveon Clowney, DE
• Dante Fowler, Jr., DE
• Robert Jones, OL
• Hakeem Adeniji, OL
• Brock Hoffman, OL

Of the players above, Clowney was the most productive in 2025. The 12th year defensive end posted 8.5 sacks in 13 games after joining the team in September.

Other defensive ends who are headed towards free agency did not have banner seasons in 2025. Williams posted only 1 sack on the season, while Fowler Jr. contributed 3 sacks after posting 10.5 with the Washington Commanders in 2024.

Tolbert was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but hasn't developed into the consistent receiving threat the team thought he could be.

Donovan Wilson has started 75 games for the Cowboys since being drafted in 2019. He has recorded 8 interceptions and 9 forced fumbles while manning the team's secondary.

Special teams stalwart Goodwin has played on a 1-year deal with Dallas for the last several years. Look for the team to re-sign him to something similar once free agency begins.

Hoffman made seven starts as the team's offensive line battled injury and inconsistency. He was due to be a restricted free agent, but the Cowboys did not place a tender on him.

Ballentine, Adeniji, Sanders, Sanborn, Turner, Jones and Murray all played on 1-year deals with the Cowboys last season. Logan Wilson was acquired by the team midseason, but was released several weeks before the offseason began.

Cowboys restricted free agents

• Juanyeh Thomas, S
• T.J. Bass, OL
• Brandon Aubrey, K

Aubrey and the Cowboys have been negotiating a deal that would make him the highest paid kicker in the NFL, but no contract has been signed yet. The team plans on placing a second-round tender on the All-Pro kicker.

Thomas has become a valued member of the team's secondary since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2023.

Bass made five starts at offensive guard in 2025, and has ten starts in his career. The team plan to place a second-round tender on him.

What is a restricted free agent?

Dig deeper:

Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets with other NFL teams in free agency, but their original team has the right to match that contract. 

If the player's original team does not choose to match an offer sheet, they will receive draft compensation from the player's new team. 

For instance, if the Cowboys place a second-round tender on Brandon Aubrey, and he signs with another team, the new team would send back a second-round pick to Dallas. 

The RFA tender can be rescinded, making the player an unrestricted free agent.

The George Pickens situation

While not exactly a free agent, Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens definitely factors into what the team will do during the NFL offseason.

Pickens was slated to be an unrestricted free agent, and after a season where he recorded 1,429 yards receiving yards and nine touchdowns, he would have been one of the top players on the open market.

Instead, the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens. Dallas elected to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens, meaning he can negotiate with other teams in free agency, but the Cowboys have the first right to match an outside offer.

Should the Cowboys not match an outside offer to Pickens, they would receive two first-round draft picks as compensation. If the two parties can't finalize a deal and Pickens signs the franchise tag, he would play the 2026 season on a one-year contract worth $27.3 million.

Both sides have expressed interest in getting a long-term deal done. After a career year with quarterback Dak Prescott, it would seem to behoove both sides to work out an agreement.

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