The Dallas Cowboys may be watching the playoffs from home this year, but that hasn’t stopped them from making a serious impression on the Pro Bowl stage. The NFL announced that seven Cowboys are headed to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games - and among them is a familiar face who’s quietly built a historic résumé in the return game: KaVontae Turpin.
Turpin is set to make his third straight Pro Bowl appearance, stepping in as the NFC’s return specialist in place of Seattle’s Rashid Shaheed, who’s now prepping for the Super Bowl. With the nod, Turpin becomes the only return man in Cowboys history to earn multiple Pro Bowl selections strictly for his work on special teams - a milestone that speaks volumes about his impact.
To put that into perspective, he’s now in rare air alongside some of the most electrifying returners the league has ever seen. Hall of Famer Devin Hester made four Pro Bowls as a return specialist.
Josh Cribbs earned three. Michael Bates - who had a brief stint with Dallas in 2003 - notched five.
Turpin’s name is now etched into that elite company, and he’s doing it with a style all his own.
This season, Turpin didn’t just flash - he rewrote the Cowboys’ record book. He racked up 2,351 net yards, the most in a single season in franchise history.
That number surpasses the previous mark set by DeMarco Murray in 2014 (2,261 yards), and it wasn’t even close. The bulk of those yards came on kickoff returns, where Turpin led the entire league with 69 attempts and 1,814 yards - both single-season records for the Cowboys.
In an era where the kickoff return is becoming less of a factor due to rule changes and touchbacks, Turpin found ways to stay relevant - and dangerous. His vision, burst, and fearlessness turned routine plays into field-position gold for Dallas, week after week.
He won’t be the only Cowboy suiting up for the NFC. Quarterback Dak Prescott, kicker Brandon Aubrey, offensive lineman Tyler Smith, and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams were all originally selected. Tight end Jake Ferguson joined the roster as an alternate, and wide receiver George Pickens (who played his college ball at Georgia with Smith) rounds out the group.
It’s a testament to the individual talent on this Cowboys roster - even if the season didn’t end the way they wanted. And for Turpin, it’s another chapter in a growing legacy that’s built not on headlines or highlight-reel touchdowns, but on consistency, explosiveness, and a relentless drive to flip the field.