The Dallas Cowboys have missed the playoffs for the second straight season and will finish with eight or fewer wins in back-to-back years for the first time since 2019 and 2020. This season, a lot of the fault falls on the defensive side of the ball. Owner Jerry Jones hasn't shied away from calling out the defense, including defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
Multiple players haven't played well this year under Eberflus' watch, with linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. being one of the biggest culprits. Now that the New Year is right around the corner, it's the perfect time for the Cowboys to consider turning the page on Murray.
Kenneth Murray Jr. Won't Last Long with Cowboys in 2026
Murray leads all Cowboys' linebackers in total snaps (852), but he hasn't capitalized on his opportunities. Despite playing in all 16 games and leading the team in total tackles (80), he has been a liability as both a run and pass defender, often being the source of many fans' frustrations on game day.
According to Pro Football Focus, he has a 40.1 overall grade (82nd among 86 graded linebackers), 32.9 run-defense grade (86th), and a 48.4 coverage grade (57th). Even though PFF grades don't tell the whole story, being one of the worst linebackers in multiple areas is never a good look.
In addition to his subpar run-stopping play in that area, things don't get better in the passing game, as he's allowed 35 catches for 339 receiving yards. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Murray has allowed 4.1 yards of separation as the nearest defender. The 27-year-old has also logged an 11.6% missed tackle rate.
While some of the blame needs to be handed to the coaching staff for constantly putting him in the same positions where he clearly hasn't produced, at some point, Murray was expected to improve. Instead, he ranked near the bottom in advanced metrics for the 2025 season.
Dallas sent over a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for Murray as a dart throw back in March. They were hoping they could revive his career in Dallas, but instead, things fell flat. The Oklahoma product is going to hit free agency, and the odds are the Cowboys will let him walk. He hasn't played well enough to earn an extension to stick around Dallas.
Especially since the Cowboys will head into the offseason $34 million over the cap per Spotrac and will need to make several moves to get under the salary cap. It doesn't help that wideout George Pickens and running back Javonte Williams are both hitting free agency.
Those guys will be a priority for this front office to retain, and from the looks of things, Murray won't make that list. The Cowboys took a chance on a former first-round pick, but he didn't deliver for them, making it clear that a fresh start is something both sides could use.