The Cowboys entered the offseason with one clear mission: fix a defense that had fallen into ugly territory. Christian Parker is now in charge of the unit, Caleb Downs arrived in the first round, and Rashan Gary could end up being one of the moves that matters most as Dallas tries to turn things around in Year 1.
Now the Packers have handed Dallas a little extra cover.
Green Bay has signed defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt to a three-year, $57 million extension that includes a $20 million signing bonus. The number jumps off the page because Wyatt has never posted more than 11 quarterback hits in a season, yet he’s now set to make $19 million per year. That’s a hefty price for a player whose production has not quite matched the paycheck.
In that sense, the Cowboys can file this one away as a small win.
Wyatt is still only 28, and interior defenders usually age better than players at other spots. But the durability questions are real.
He fractured his fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle last November, missed two games earlier in the season with a knee injury, and an ankle issue kept him out of three contests in 2024. Over the last two years, he’s missed 10 games.
That makes Green Bay’s bet a tricky one. Wyatt can push the pocket from the inside, and the Packers aren’t making a mistake by keeping an ascending defensive tackle around. Still, the combination of injuries and uneven production makes this look like a calculated gamble, and plenty of people will call it an overpay.
That matters because of how the Rashan Gary deal now looks in comparison.
Dallas moved for Gary after the Packers traded him, and the early signs are working in the Cowboys’ favor. Gary has missed just one game since 2023, and after agreeing to a revised contract with Dallas, he’ll make $16 million in 2026 and 2027, which is less than Wyatt. He had been on a $24 million-per-year deal in Green Bay.
Gary isn’t Micah Parsons as a pass rusher, but he brings real value. He’s a force against the run and has averaged 7.9 sacks and 56.0 pressures over the last five seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s a strong return for a player who came with some skepticism when the trade was first announced.
The initial reaction around the league was muted, in part because rumors suggested the Packers were ready to release him. Even if that chatter was never fully confirmed, Dallas still deserves credit for acting instead of waiting around and risking a bidding war in free agency.
The price was a fourth-round pick, and yes, that was part of the debate. But Gary also agreed to a pay cut to make the move happen, which softens the cost and makes the deal easier to defend. With Wyatt now locked in at $19 million per year, the Cowboys’ side of the ledger looks even cleaner.
Of course, the final verdict will come down to Gary’s play. For now, though, the early reports out of Dallas have been positive, with coaches and teammates praising his leadership and attention to detail. Those traits matter on a young defense, and they could end up carrying real weight as Parker tries to reshape the group.
Wyatt’s extension will be watched closely too. Fair or not, he and Gary are now tied together, and both teams will be judged by how these decisions age.
In Other News...
This Quiet Cowboys Addition Could Finally Fix A Major Problem
The Cowboys spent 2025 getting pushed around against the run, and that made the search for help up front a clear offseason priority. Jonathan Bullard is the kind of signing that can get overlooked at first glance, but Dallas brought in the veteran defensive lineman with a specific job in mind: shore up the run defense and give the front a sturdier presence on early downs.
Bullards value is tied to fit as much as reputation, since he has spent years in a similar gap-and-a-half style system and should be comfortable in what Dallas is installing under Christian Parker. The question now is how much of that run-stopping ability translates into a meaningful role once the Cowboys start sorting out their rotation, especially with his pass-rush impact never being the selling point. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Enter Camp With Three Roster Questions Fans Cant Ignore
The Cowboys head into 2026 training camp with a few roster spots that could shape the early part of their season, and the pass rush is near the top of the list. Dallas added Rashan Gary in a move that was meant to strengthen the edge after missing on Maxx Crosby, then followed that up by drafting Malachi Lawrence, while also hoping for a second-year jump from Donovan Ezeiruaku. Even with those pieces in place, the group still has to prove it can produce a clear front-line threat off the edge.
Elsewhere, the line and backfield bring their own questions into camp, even if the answers are not as settled as the depth chart might suggest. Tyler Guyton is the likeliest name to open at left tackle, but the Cowboys still need the rest of the room to sort itself out behind him, and the same kind of uncertainty hangs over the running game if Javonte Williams is slowed by injury. For a team trying to build around a stronger roster base, those are the kinds of decisions that can quietly shape everything that follows. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Just Lost The Linebacker Answer Fans Were Hoping For
The Cowboys spent part of the offseason looking for help at linebacker, and Jordyn Brooks was one of the names that made sense for a defense still trying to firm up its middle. Dallas reportedly explored a trade for Brooks earlier this offseason, but the talks never turned into a deal, leaving the team to sort through its own options as the season approaches.
Now Brooks is off the board for the long term, which only sharpens the focus on what Dallas already has in house. DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters are the linebackers expected to carry that load next season, and the Cowboys will have to hope that internal development is enough after missing on a player who had become a logical fit for their needs. [Read more 🡒]