DeMarvion Overshown has the kind of Texas story the Cowboys love to tell.
He’s from Tyler, went to Arp High School, played at the University of Texas and then got picked by Dallas in the third round of the NFL Draft. He’s also flashed the kind of ability that makes you think he can be part of the Cowboys’ future.
But the NFL has a ruthless rule that never goes away: your best ability is availability.
That’s where the conversation turns for Dallas. As much as both sides may want this to keep working, Overshown simply hasn’t been on the field enough for the Cowboys to feel comfortable giving him a lucrative long-term deal. If he’s not willing to take a cheap deal to remain in Dallas, he may have to look beyond Texas next fall.
The numbers tell the story. Since Overshown was drafted in 2023, the Cowboys have played 60 games.
He’s appeared in only 22 of them. That’s barely one out of every three.
Calvin Watkins of Dallas News pointed out that even Sean Lee played in 46 of a possible 64 games over his first four seasons. If Overshown somehow plays every game from here through 2026, he’ll still sit at just 30 appearances in 68 possible games.
And yet, when he’s out there, he matters. After missing Week 1, Overshown came back for Weeks 7 and 8 and made an immediate impact, recording an interception and a forced fumble in back-to-back games.
Dallas’ defense looked better with him on the field. In that sense, the Cowboys do need him.
The problem is that need and trust are two different things.
On a rookie deal, Dallas could afford to wait and hope. A second contract is a different matter.
Overshown is set to be a free agent next spring, and while his talent could attract interest, his injury history would almost certainly keep guarantees low. The Cowboys, though, are not in a position to be the team that takes that swing.
His availability issues go back to college, too. Overshown missed games almost every year at Texas.
He missed his entire rookie season, then missed four games as a sophomore and 11 in his third year. So far in 2026, he’s played in just two and a half of a possible nine games.
That’s the kind of pattern Dallas can’t ignore.
At his peak, Overshown is an above-average linebacker who helps the Cowboys win. But 22 games is still a tiny sample, less than a season and a half of work. That’s not enough for a front office to bet big on him.
There’s also the money problem. The Cowboys are projected to have only $768,000 to spend next year, which means they’ll need serious cap maneuvering just to get under the limit. In that pecking order, George Pickens and Joey Porter Jr. are ahead of Overshown.
Maybe Dallas can shuffle enough money around to keep a few in-house players. But unless Overshown is willing to sign for very little or accept a prove-it deal, the smarter move may be to let him hit the market and let someone else pay.
A cheap return would make sense. A deal around $4 million for one season is one thing. Something closer to $30 million over three years, the kind of range linebackers with his talent can command, is another story entirely.
So the choice is pretty clear: bring Overshown back on a bargain, or let him walk. What the Cowboys can’t do is hand out an extension with real guarantees and expect the risk to be worth it.
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