The Cowboys’ 2026 offseason has been quiet in a way that almost feels unfamiliar, and that’s exactly the point. After years of contract noise hanging over the franchise, Dallas has spent this summer with far less drama attached to its biggest names.
Stephen Jones made the tone clear when he said, “There won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal,” and for once the calendar backed him up. In 2023, Zack Martin held out of part of training camp while trying to renegotiate.
In 2024, the focus shifted to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, with Lamb missing most of camp before an extension got done and Prescott’s record $60 million annual deal landing on the morning of the season opener. Then came the Micah Parsons contract saga last year, which ended with the All-Pro pass rusher being traded to the Green Bay Packers a week before the 2025 season started.
That kind of buildup had pointed toward more turbulence in 2026. Instead, George Pickens took a different route.
He attended mandatory minicamp in June and said he would not hold out of training camp. The July 15 deadline for Pickens to sign a long-term extension passed with barely a ripple.
The balloon simply drifted away.
That calmer backdrop gives Dallas a chance to focus on football, and the biggest football question starts on defense. The unit is now under new coordinator Christian Parker, and there’s plenty to sort through once the team gets to Oxnard.
Parker has talked publicly about change, but the real answers will come on the field. How he fixes the communication issues that hurt the defense last season, how the 3-4 scheme generates steady pressure, and who carries the load in the secondary are all issues that won’t be fully settled in camp, though the next month should reveal a lot about the structure he’s built.
The personnel turnover is real, too. Rashan Gary was traded in April from the only NFL team he had known, Green Bay.
Jalen Thompson arrives with the largest free agent contract in team history. Caleb Downs comes into the league with massive expectations, and first-round pick Malachi Lawrence is also in line for a major role.
Dee Winters is back in DFW after poor linebacker play in 2025, and Dallas will see whether he can solve the middle of the defense.
On offense, the expectation remains unchanged. That’s where the conversation around Prescott gets interesting.
Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com argued that Prescott belongs in the MVP discussion for 2026, and he didn’t treat it like a stretch. He pointed to Prescott being an All-Pro quarterback who has been in the MVP conversation three times over the last five seasons, including the argument from some that he should have won over Lamar Jackson in 2023.
Walker also noted that Prescott has the weapons, the play-caller, and the chance to benefit if Parker’s defense holds up. In his view, if the defense is at least above average, Prescott’s work won’t get lost in another season that ends too early.
There’s also a familiar face returning to Dallas in a new role. Will Grier, who spent all of last season on the Cowboys practice squad in his second stint with the team, is set to join the staff as an offensive assistant coach. Grier briefly re-signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason before retiring earlier this month, and Dallas had shown interest in bringing him onto the coaching staff earlier in the offseason before he signed with Carolina.
Elsewhere, former Cowboys quarterback and current lead NFL on CBS analyst Tony Romo was arrested Thursday evening in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating while intoxicated. According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Romo was pulled over while driving southbound on Interstate 43.
The arrest report says he performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests and was taken into custody. He was later released after being booked and given a court date of Sept.
- A first-offense OWI in Wisconsin carries a penalty of $150-$300, plus a $435 OWI surcharge.
In Other News...
Cowboys Fans Are Loving This Embarrassing Giants Coaching Moment
A preseason hype speech is supposed to stir a team, but John Harbaughs latest moment with the Giants did the opposite. The head coach leaned hard into the New York Giants message, only for the players reaction to fall flat enough that the clip quickly became a punchline online, with plenty of fans and commentators treating it as more awkward than inspiring.
For Cowboys fans, it was the kind of sideline stumble that is easy to enjoy from a distance, especially with the Giants carrying extra attention into the season. The bigger question now is whether that disconnect was just a bad viral moment or a sign of a team still trying to find the right edge before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Were Quietly Tied To A Quarterback Story Fans Did Not See Coming
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For Dallas, the connection is easy to understand even if the timing is not. The Cowboys have Dak Prescott atop the depth chart, but they are always looking ahead at the position, and a player like Sorsby could have fit as a long-term backup or eventual successor if the process had moved differently. For now, the story is less about a fit than a missed opportunity, with the leagues decision leaving open whether the Cowboys will circle back when Sorsby is eligible again. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys May Already Be Losing Faith In Their Latest QB2 Fix
The Cowboys still have a real question behind Dak Prescott, and it is one that did not get any easier once the offseason dust settled. Joe Milton, who was the primary backup last year, is now in a camp battle with newly signed Sam Howell for the QB2 job, giving Dallas a competition that feels less like a formality and more like a test of which passer can steady the position.
Howell brings more experience and a financial commitment that could help him stick on the active roster, while Milton is still trying to show he can be more accurate and consistent. His preseason work last year left room for doubt, and if that does not change quickly, the Cowboys may have to decide whether he is better suited for the practice squad than for the role they hoped he could fill. [Read more 🡒]