The Dallas Cowboys missed the playoffs in the first year under Brian Schottenheimer, and that must change in 2026. The defensive side of the ball will take the front seat in terms of upgrades, but there are other areas to look at.
The offense was the best unit for this team in 2025, but that doesn't mean some members from that side of the ball won't be potential cap casualties, and offensive tackle Terence Steele is a name that should be at the top of the list.
Terence Steele Could Be Cut Candidate for Cowboys in Offseason
Dallas has one of the worst cap situations in the league, as they currently need to get under the cap, sitting at -$31 million in cap space, per Spotrac, placing them 29th in the league. They need to find some wiggle room, and parting ways with Steele should be an option for this front office.
Back in 2023, Dallas and Steele agreed on a five-year, $86.8 million extension, but he hasn't lived up to the billing. He provides the Cowboys with a solid option as a run-blocker, but has real struggles as a pass protector.
Terence Steele's 2023 Stats | Terence Steele's 2024 Stats | Terence Steele's 2025 Stats |
|---|---|---|
Pass-Blocking Grade Per PFF (45.9, 75th among 84 tackles) | Pass-Blocking Grade Per PFF (57.5, 66th among 81 tackles) | Pass-Blocking Grade Per PFF (54.9, 76th among 89 tackles) |
Penalties: 7 | Penalties: 7 | Penalties: 7 |
Sacks Allowed: 8 | Sacks Allowed: 9 | Sacks Allowed: 6 |
Hits Allowed: 12 | Hits Allowed: 6 | Hits Allowed: 9 |
Total Pressures Allowed: 54 | Total Pressures Allowed: 41 | Total Pressures Allowed: 52 |
The Cowboys have a big sample size of the caliber of player that Steele is. He has struggled to slow down opposing pass-rushers while consistently picking up penalties, pushing the offense back. For a quarterback like Dak Prescott, who has suffered multiple season-ending injuries at this point in his career, Dallas needs to be confident in the offensive line in front of him.
The Cowboys have shown the ability to draft high-quality offensive linemen and did so again in 2025 with Tyler Booker, one of the league's best rookie offensive linemen. According to Spotrac, if the Cowboys released Steele before June 1st this offseason, they would face a $9.3 million dead cap hit but would still free up $8.8 million. If they waited until after that date, they could save $14 million and get a $4.125 million dead cap hit instead.
Opening up that kind of money is significant, especially for a team that has playmakers like George Pickens and Javonte Williams hitting free agency but are priority re-signs. The Cowboys paid Steele to be one of the top right tackles in the NFL, and he hasn't played like one. This shouldn't be that difficult a decision.
Before the 2025 season rolled around, Jones publicly questioned whether Steele or Trevon Diggs should have gotten that extension, stating, "Frankly... should we have waited on Diggs and Steele?"
We clearly saw how the front office felt about Diggs, who was waived in December. If Steele doesn't want to take a pay cut, there's a good chance that Dallas decides to move on from him to save the money instead. Judging from how he's looked since 2023, coupled with the public doubt from Jones, Steele's time in Dallas may be coming to an end.