The Dallas Cowboys' latest season was one to forget, and Sunday's finale was hardly an exception. Instead of ending the year on a high note, America's Team will enter the offseason on a low note due to a 34-17 loss to the New York Giants.
Yes, the defeat improved the Cowboys' draft positioning while worsening their rivals', but that doesn't erase how they failed to give their fan base any sense of optimism before the offseason.
With that in mind, Sunday was likely the last time several Cowboys will don the iconic star, especially if their performance was poor enough to seal their fate. That seems to be the case for cornerback Reddy Steward, who gave Dallas every reason to consider turning the page on him in the offseason after how lost he looked against the Giants.
Cowboys Can't Bring Reddy Steward Back After Week 18 Disaster
Steward was a headache more often than not during the 45 defensive snaps — his most since Week 4 (55) — he saw this weekend. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart seemingly took every chance he could to throw the ball in Steward's direction, targeting the Cowboys CB six times, which resulted in as many catches for 64 yards and a 111.1 passer rating.
Not only was it the third straight game where he's allowed four-plus catches, but it's also the third time he's allowed at least six receptions. Steward has now given up 14 catches on 16 targets (87.5%) for 141 yards during that stretch, which doesn't exactly give the Cowboys any reason to run things back with him next season. That's without mentioning the 86.8% completion rate and 331 yards after the catch he's given up all year long.
Between the lead-up to Trevon Diggs' exit, DaRon Bland's up-and-down play, and Shevon Revel Jr.'s obvious inexperience, the Cowboys' CB room has been a source of concern this season. Steward's unreliable play only adds to the issues that owner/general manager Jerry Jones must solve this offseason, and it wouldn't be shocking if moving on from the struggling defender ends up being a part of the solution.
Steward is slated to become an exclusive rights free agent in March, meaning the Cowboys can give "him a one-year contract at the league minimum," which would prevent him from negotiating with other suitors. At the same time, Dallas may have already seen enough from him to not tender his qualifying offer, which would lead to his being an unrestricted free agent.
And if the Cowboys move on from Matt Eberflus, the next defensive coordinator will want to bring in players he can trust. Considering how any potential DCs likely won't be impressed by what Steward did this season, that's just another reason why Dallas might turn the page.
Steward won't turn 25 years old until May, so there's a chance that his career still has a lot of runway ahead of it. At the same time, he's clearly worn out his welcome in the Lone Star State, and if he does eventually become something in the league, it likely won't be with the Cowboys.