Jalen Tolbert chose to leave the Dallas Cowboys in free agency this offseason, and it's becoming increasingly clear why. On Friday, Tolbert signed with a rebuilding team that needs bodies in the receiver room and just signed a quarterback he knows well.
"Former Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert is signing with the Dolphins on a one-year deal," NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Friday afternoon. "Tolbert is close with Malik Willis, who was his QB at the Senior Bowl when they were entering the league. The versatile WR had over 1,000 receiving yards and 10 TDs with Dallas over four seasons."
Instead of being Chris Olave's WR2 with the New Orleans Saints, Tolbert now joins a Miami Dolphins squad whose offense is being led by Malik Willis, someone who's got more immediate upside than Tyler Shough and someone with whom Tolbert is familiar.
It cannot be overstated how important and often overlooked it is for a receiver to find a QB he's played with. Even if Willis and Tolbert haven't spent years together, the fact that they're close enough four years later from a week in Mobile, AL, prepping for the Senior Bowl speaks to the bond Tolbert has with the Phins' $67.5 million man.
Next offseason, Tolbert could be setting himself up for a big payday, whether in Miami Gardens, FL, or elsewhere. Obviously, it'll take that aforementioned Willis connection translating to the NFL, but the opportunity will be there if he can capitalize on the Dolphins' lack of WR options.
The same cannot be said of the team that drafted him.
Jalen Tolbert Wouldn't Have Gotten a Chance With the Cowboys
Tolbert was never going to sneak past CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens on the depth chart and steal their targets. With how much money is invested in the pair, and how many assets Dallas gave up for the latter, Dak Prescott would never go rogue enough to make Tolbert the team's star receiver.
It doesn't help that Ryan Flournoy or KaVontae Turpin had impressive 2025 performances, which knocked Tolbert down the depth chart.
2025 Stats | Jalen Tolbert | Ryan Flournoy | KaVontae Turpin |
|---|---|---|---|
Games Played | 13 | 16 | 15 |
Targets | 34 | 56 | 38 |
Receptions | 18 | 40 | 26 |
Receiving Yards | 203 | 475 | 396 |
Yards Per Catch | 11.3 | 11.9 | 15.2 |
Yards Per Game | 15.6 | 29.7 | 26.4 |
Touchdowns | 1 | 4 | 2 |
WR5 is not the role any player actively wants in a contract year. Familiarity with Dak is good, but familiarity with being targeted fewer times than the competition is no place for a 27-year-old to be. Tolbert would never get paid as long as he's playing second (or rather, fifth) fiddle.
The Cowboys could've used Tolbert as depth, but what's done is done at this point. He was a former third-round pick who failed to meet expectations, and now it's time to move on and find a replacement. Fortunately, free agency and the 2026 NFL draft will offer various options.
Much to Tolbert's dismay, though, his Dolphins won't face the Cowboys next season, meaning any plans for a revenge game will be on hold until 2027 at the earliest.