These 5 Dallas Cowboys aren’t living up to their contracts and fans are ready to see them replaced.
The Dallas Cowboys front office is already preparring fans for another boring offseason. 2024 was one of the more frustrating in recent memory with Jerry Jones claiming the team was “all-in” just to sit on his hands.
Part of the problem is poor contracts. While Dallas has drafted well, they haven’t always done a good job adding players through trade and have been guilty of paying the wrong players at times.
Here’s a look at five players currently on the roster who fans are ready to see move on.
Trey Lance, QB
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Dallas sent a fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers last season to bring in Trey Lance. They then refused to use Lance, keeping the 2021 No. 3 overall pick on the bench even after Dak Prescott was injured.
Lance was used spraingly in two games this season, completed 4-of-6 attempts for 21 yards with an interception. That’s not what you hope for from someone who counts $5.3 million against the salary cap. Dallas could have used that money — as well as the draft pick — to improve their ground game. That’s why fans are ready for this failed experiment to end.
Donovan Wilson, S
Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick (17) reacts after making a catch in front of Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson (6) / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
A sixth-round pick in 2019 out of Texas A&M, Donovan Wilson developed into a starting safety known for making big plays. His performance led to a three-year extension worth $21 million in 2023. Now just two years later, Wilson’s performance has trended in the wrong direction.
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He saw his play decline slightly in 2023 but 2024 has been far worse. Wilson has been a liability in coverage and currenly has a 62.4 PFF grade, which is the lowest of his career. His deal runs through the 2025 season but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the relationship end before then.
Brandin Cooks, WR
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (3) catches a touchdown pass / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Adding Brandin Cooks in a trade with the Houston Texans felt like a huge win for Dallas in 2023. The veteran wideout has always been an underrated player and had recorded 1,000 yards receiving for four different teams.
In year one with Dallas, he had 657 yards on 54 receptions which was a let down. He did at least have eight touchdowns but he wasn’t the impact player the Cowboys thought he would be.
This season has been even worse. Cooks missed seven games with a knee injury and has just 16 catches for 144 yards with three touchdowns in the three games he’s appeared in. He’s also averaging just 9.0 yards per reception while carrying a $10 million cap hit.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) fumbles the ball after bring hit by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Unlike the others on this list, Ezekiel Elliott doesn’t have a big cap number — or at least he doesn’t on the surface. Under his current deal, Zeke is making $2 million but he’s also accounting for more than $6 million in dead money after Dallas released him in 2023.
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He returned after a subpar season in New England and has completely fallen off the map. He has 223 yards and two touchdowns on 70 attempts while averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per attempt. In addition to his poor play, his attitude led to a suspension earlier in the year.
Considering he already hurt them once following the awful contract extension in 2019, fans are beyond ready to move on. Again.
Terence Steele, OT
Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
There’s not a worse contract on the Dallas roster right now than Terence Steele’s. The former undrafted free agent was a great story after becoming a starter during the 2021 season. He was on his way to becoming a top-tier right tackle in 2022, even costing La’el Collins his job, before a torn ACL and MCL ended his season.
Dallas still decided to reward him with a five-year, $86.8 million contract extension — making it two years in a row they overpaid someone coming off a sever injury.
Michael Gallup, who tore his ACL in 2021, also landed a five-year extension. He was released ahead of the 2024 season after struggling to return to form.
Steele hasn’t been as disastrous as Gallup, but he hasn’t been playing to the level of his contract. What makes it worse is that he’s still on the books through the 2028 season. Unless he improves drastically, he’s likely to be released before then.