March has entered its final stretch, meaning the first month of NFL free agency is almost over. After a rollercoaster 2025 campaign, the Dallas Cowboys used the early wave of free agency to address plenty of roster concerns, especially on defense, to help make new defensive coordinator Christian Parker's first season as smooth as possible.
Although America's Team has brought in its fair share of defensive reinforcements, the Cowboys have also watched some of their former defenders find new homes. That hasn't been the case for everyone, though, as someone like linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. is still looking for work.
It wouldn't be surprising if the lack of offers had Murray hoping that the Cowboys would circle back regarding a potential reunion. Based on how his lone season in Dallas went, though, that line of thinking would be nothing more than a pipe dream.
Kenneth Murray Jr. Can't Return to the Cowboys in 2026
With DeMarvion Overshown suffering a season-ending injury at the end of the 2024 campaign, the Cowboys needed linebacker help a year ago. That's why they had zero issues trading a sixth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans to acquire Murray (and a seventh-rounder) last March.
A former first-round pick, Dallas was hopeful that a change in scenery could get the ex-Oklahoma Sooner back on track — especially with the defense needing impact players following Micah Parsons' trade.
Despite playing 873 defensive snaps across 17 games (16 starts), Murray often provided more headaches than help for the Cowboys. His 38 solo tackles were a steep decline after tallying 50-plus in four out of his first five seasons, while his one sack was noticeable down from the 3.0 and 3.5 he tallied in 2023 and 2024, respectively. That's without mentioning an 8.0% missed-tackle rate that was higher than his career average (6.4%).
Of course, Murray made sure to frustrate Cowboys fans on the ground and through the air.
Opposing quarterbacks completed 80.4% of their passing attempts (37-of-46) sent his way, averaging 10.4 yards per completion with a 115.9 passer rating. For comparison, New York Patriots QB Drake Maye finished with a 113.5 passer rating, meaning anyone targeting Murray essentially looked like an NFL MVP candidate. That's why his 48.1 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus is more than fitting.
A Fresh Start Is Needed
With the above evidence serving as a reminder, it's no surprise that the Cowboys weren't interested in keeping Murray around. The LB room needed a dire reset after last season, which is why Logan Wilson was waived last month. Parker clearly wants the unit to have a fresh start, which means leaving any holdovers from the Matt Eberflus era in the rearview mirror.
With that in mind, the 2026 NFL draft next month will likely be the path that the Cowboys take to replace Murray, Wilson, and the other underperforming linebackers. Ohio State's Sonny Styles, Georgia's CJ Allen, and Texas' Anthony Hill Jr. are just some of the Day 1/2 prospects that could be on owner/general manager Jerry Jones' radar next month.
The NFL offseason is still relatively young, so there's still plenty of time for Murray to find a new team. It just likely won't be the Cowboys. Last season proved that he wasn't a good fit for Dallas, and there's no reason to further the sunk cost fallacy by giving him a second chance.
The Cowboys, with Parker moulding the secondary, were right to turn the page, leaving time to tell where Murray will play next now that his return odds have hit zero.