The Dallas Cowboys are set for a pivotal offseason after an underwhelming and often disappointing 2025 season. Despite having a consistent offense and great coaching from first-year bench boss Brian Schottenheimer, too many issues mounted as the year progressed, preventing the Cowboys from making the playoffs.
With several players failing to meet expectations, this sets the stage for plenty of offseason exits, including this free-agent trio that the Cowboys will let walk right out the door, no questions asked.
3 Cowboys Free Agents Who Won't Be Back in 2026
1. Dante Fowler Jr., DE
While Dallas' pass rushers were set up for failure from the preseason loss of Micah Parsons, they didn't exactly show much promise, either. This includes Dante Fowler Jr., who managed only three sacks a season after tallying 10.5 with the Washington Commanders in 2024. On top of that, he went from racking up 50 pressures on 387 pass-rushing downs last year to 30 on 248 opportunities this season, per Pro Football Focus, further illustrating his disappointing decline.
The Cowboys would be far wiser to trade for a star disruptor or look to add to the position in the draft. Fowler isn't enticing with limited upside and a free agency price that the Cowboys shouldn't attempt to afford. Dallas needs to find the cap space to re-sign George Pickens, Javonte Williams, and Brandon Aubrey. Add in the defensive rebuild that is obviously needed, and there is zero reason to bring Fowler back.
Fowler shouldn't have difficulty finding a new landing spot offering upside as a rotational piece. However, what the Cowboys need isn't inconsistent rotational rushers, but a star capable of setting the edge and getting to the quarterback.
2. Miles Sanders, RB
Heading into the 2025 preseason, the Dallas backfield was supposed to be an even competition between Miles Sanders and Williams. There was some thought that after failing in Carolina, perhaps the former Philadelphia Eagle would find a way back to form behind a solid Cowboys offensive line. Instead, the back appeared a step slower and offered little competition to Williams.
Sanders finished 2025 with only 117 rushing yards due to suffering a season-ending injury that ruled the playmaker out a month into the year. While Williams had already locked down the starting job, it furthered the fact that Dallas had no reason to entertain a reunion with Sanders ahead of hitting free agency this offseason.
It seems likely that Sanders will likely have have to settle for a practice squad deal in the 2026 offseason. Dallas will have its attention focused on retaining Williams, and that's without mentioning how Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah will return for Year 2. There's just no room for Sanders, especially if pending restricted free agent Malik Davis is re-signed, forcing him to continue his NFL career elsewhere.
3. Jalen Tolbert, WR
Jalen Tolbert has never had an easier path to finding easy targets with George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb demanding attention. Instead, the fourth-year receiver had only 18 catches for 203 yards while posting the lowest catch rate (52.9%) of his career. Tolbert clearly failed to take advantage of the help around him, putting him in a precarious position ahead of his upcoming unrestricted free agency.
For the Cowboys, a divorce is even easier thanks to the emergence of Ryan Flournoy, who had 475 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season, including two 100-yard performances. He looked much better as Dallas' WR3 than Tolbert, who never had more than 61 yards in a game this season, which came all the way back in Week 4.
Tolbert is likely to generate interest as he's only 26 years old with a 600-yard season under his belt. Having said that, the Cowboys will be more than fine without his inconsistent contributions, especially if the front office adds more reliable pairs of hands through free agency and the NFL draft.