The No. 19 debate for the Dallas Cowboys comes down to two modern receivers, and the answer here is a little less obvious than the name most fans would probably reach for first.
The jersey has been worn by a long list of players over the years: Lance Alworth, Miles Austin, Brice Butler, Amari Cooper, Ryan Flournoy, Noah Igbinoghene, John Jett, Keyshawn Johnson, Trey Lance, Clint Longley, Brett Maher, Lance Rentzel and Kevin Sweeney. Alworth is the biggest name on the list overall, and he’s the only one enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But his Dallas stint was brief, lasting just two seasons. Even so, he did help the Cowboys win a ring in 1971, when he caught 34 passes for 487 yards and two touchdowns.
Lance Rentzel also had a meaningful run in Dallas, putting together a four-year stretch from 1967 to 1970 with 183 catches, 3,521 yards and 31 touchdowns. Still, the real decision here lands between two players who wore No. 19 in this century.
Amari Cooper is the easy name for many fans, and the case is strong. In three and a half seasons with Dallas, he hauled in 292 passes for 3,893 yards and 27 touchdowns while making two Pro Bowls. That’s a serious resume.
But the pick here is Miles Austin.
That choice may catch some people off guard, but Austin’s peak was simply better, and he brought more to the table than just receiving production. He made two Pro Bowls with the Cowboys, and he also handled kick returns, which added to his overall value.
Austin came into the league as an undrafted free agent out of Monmouth in 2006 and signed with Dallas. As a rookie, he didn’t record a catch, but he still made an impact on special teams with 753 kickoff return yards on 29 returns. Then he made franchise history in the postseason, becoming the first Cowboys player ever to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a playoff game with a 93-yard score in the third quarter of a 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
His role grew over the next couple of seasons, and then 2009 turned into the breakout year. Austin earned a Pro Bowl nod after catching 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns.
That season topped anything Cooper did in Dallas, including Cooper’s best Cowboys year in 2019, when he posted 79 receptions for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns. Cooper’s highest yardage total overall came in 2023 with the Cleveland Browns, when he finished with 72 catches for 1,250 yards and five scores.
Austin followed that 2009 surge with another Pro Bowl season in 2010, finishing with 69 catches for 1,041 yards and seven touchdowns. He never got back over 1,000 yards after that, though he came close in 2012 with 66 receptions for 943 yards and six touchdowns. An injury-hit 2013 season led to his release, and he finished his career with one season each for the Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles.
His Dallas numbers still stack up well. In eight seasons with the Cowboys, Austin produced 301 catches for 4,481 yards, which ranks ninth in franchise history. His 34 receiving touchdowns sit 11th, and his 2,146 kickoff return yards rank sixth.
So while Amari Cooper has the flashier name, Miles Austin gets the nod as the best Cowboys player to wear No. 19.
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