With the playoffs almost being impossible, the Dallas Cowboys will likely use the next three games to assess what they have to work with for the 2026 season. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer's first year behind the bench, regardless of how it ends, exceeded expectations, and figuring out who is and isn't capable of being a useful contributor in Year 2 is crucial moving forward.
One player who might have a chance to step up in the coming weeks is someone whom Cowboys fans haven't seen much of this season. In fact, he's yet to make his team debut.
On Wednesday, Cowboys reporter Tommy Yarish reported that Dallas opened the 21-day practice window for three injured players, including defensive end Payton Turner. The former New Orleans Saints first-rounder signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys in March; however, he's been on injured reserve all year after injuring his ribs during the preseason.
But now that his window is opened and he returned to practice this week, it looks like Turner could finally see some action down the stretch.
Payton Turner Could Make Cowboys Regular-Season Debut Soon
Even before trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, taking a swing on a pass rusher like Turner made a lot of sense early in the offseason. Yes, the Cowboys had the third-most sacks in the NFL last season (52), but that was still 11 fewer than the league-leading Denver Broncos, opening the door for improvements to be made.
Turner ended up being the man to walk through the door, carrying a resume that included 50 total tackles (including 11 for a loss), five sacks, four pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 31 games without a start in New Orleans. He also amassed 39 pressures on 411 pass rushing downs during that stretch, per Pro Football Focus, making for a solid success rate at 9.5%.
As it stands, James Houston and Donovan Ezeiruaku are the only Cowboys edge rushers under contract for 2026, per Spotrac. Turner should use this situation as motivation to step up and play as much as he can in the final three games, potentially vaulting him into Dallas' defensive plans for next season. Even if he doesn't convince general manager/owner Jerry Jones that he should be re-signed, a strong end-of-year performance could help Turner get paid elsewhere.
The Saints took Turner in the first round over four years ago because they saw him as a difference maker. That didn't work out in the Big Easy, but sometimes all a player needs is a fresh start to get there.
Hopefully, Turner is truly healthy so he can finally realize his potential and play a big role in the Cowboys' pass rush, perhaps not only this season, but beyond, too.